Home Box Office is the biggest boxing broadcaster in the United States.
Though boxing?s ratings on HBO are slipping year by year, the Time Warner company has continued to support the sport and can be a crucial factor in making or breaking a pay per view event.
So when Mr. Bob Arum tells us that he is taking Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito?s November 13 bout to Mexico or the United Arab Emirates, I chuckle.
Does anyone believe that HBO will be taking its production team and on-air talent to Monterrey, Mexico, or the Middle East?
Surely Mr. Arum could produce his own pay per view using resources within Top Rank Promotions, without the backing of HBO, but he would then limit the events distribution and marketing.
An HBO broadcast pay per view is the highest quality production, backed with marketing on the networks plethora of channels. The more exposure an event gets on HBO, or any other outlet, the more likely it will be successful.
HBO is the master of building up mainstream interest in an event using their 24/7 documentary series or simple one-shot pre-fight documentaries. Though most steady fans have grown sick of these programs, the fringe fan feels compelled to order a fight after watching on of these documentary-based shows.
Arum might have a production team which could create a similar documentary, but he does not have the broadcast outlet to distribute to fringe fans.
Will Bob Arum risk putting on a pay per view event on his own and run the risk of the broadcast falling flat at the box office?
Unlikely.
Look for Mr. Arum to resolve Antonio Margarito?s licensing issue in Nevada, or find a host State which will accept the tainted ?Tornando? to fight again. Then, with a State-side fight, look for HBO to broadcast the event and make it a pay per view hit.
