WBC World Heavyweight Championship is ESPN’s Highest-Rated Boxing Telecast Since 2003
Photo by Naoki Fukada
ESPN’s live telecast of the Saturday, May 10, World Boxing Council (WBC) World Heavyweight Championship fight between Bermane “B. Ware” Stiverne (24-1-1, 21 KOs) and Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola (36-4, 31 KOs) delivered a 0.8 overnight rating according to Nielsen.
Stiverne vs. Arreola is the highest-rated fight on any ESPN network since 2003 (Monte Barrett vs. Eric Kirkland delivered a 1.3 overnight rating on October 3, 2003, on ESPN2). Stiverne defeated Arreola by TKO in the sixth round, making him the first boxer of Haitian descent to win a Heavyweight title.
Saturday’s fight is also tied for the third-highest-rated fight overall on any ESPN network (based on overnights, records date back to 2001).
The top 5 local markets for this fight were as follows:
1) New Orleans, 4.1 metered market rating
2) San Antonio, 2.2 metered market rating
3) San Diego, 1.5 metered market rating
4) Providence, 1.5 metered market rating
5) Fort Myers, 1.3 metered market rating
· With a 4.1 metered market rating, New Orleans saw its highest local market rating for boxing on any ESPN Network (records date back to 2001).
· With a 2.2 metered market rating, San Antonio saw its highest local market rating for boxing on any ESPN Network (records date back to 2001).
