Nonito Donaire?s third-round knockout victory over Jorge Arce was seen Saturday by 61 percent more HBO viewers than Donaire?s October victory over Toshiaki Nishioka.
According to Nielsen Media Research, slightly more than 1.3 million viewers tuned in to the live prime-time airing of Donaire-Arce. There were 835,000 viewers for his Oct. 13 fight vs. Toshiaki Nishioka in Carson, CA). Furthermore, Showtime?s card headlined by Amir Khan?s victory over Carlos Molina drew 616,000.
That isn?t to say Donaire attracted all of those new eyeballs. The Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez replays that preceded Donaire-Arce also drew 1.3 million, a highly significant lead-in audience.
Furthermore, Arce attracted a lot of the HBO audience.
But that was why Donaire was eager to fight Arce, maybe just as much as the $1 million payday and the fulfilled plans for a picturesque knockout victory (which by the way viewed in the Philippines in about one-third of all television-owners? homes, reports Ronnie Nathanielsz on philboxing.com).
The Philippines is Nonito?s main fan source, but Donaire no doubt has won many new Mexican fans, as well as the attention of many more who may not consider themselves his fans, as a result of his victory over Arce and his even more sensational 2010 victory over Fernando Montiel.
It turns out the Donaire-Arce matchup, which had been in the talking stages since 2007 , never did reach an expiration date. Donaire is profiting hugely from Saturday?s fight.
