The third edition of ESPN’s Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN presented by Corona Extra (PBC on ESPN) series—headlined by Leo Santa Cruz’s majority decision win over Abner Mares—on Saturday, Aug. 29, delivered the largest boxing audience on ESPN since February 1998 (02/22/98 Mark Johnson vs. Arthur Johnson).
The telecast was seen by an average of 1,217,000 viewers (P2+)—up 30 percent from the average of the previous two PBC telecasts on ESPN. The telecast peaked from 12:00-12:15am with 1,641,000 viewers (P2+) according to Nielsen.
ESPN’s Spanish-language telecast of the event on ESPN Deportes averaged a 1.3 Hispanic HH US Rtg and 355,000 Hispanic viewers—making it the highest-rated and most-watched boxing telecast to ever air on ESPN Deportes. The telecast peaked from 11:15-11:30 p.m. with 453,000 viewers.
ESPN Classic will reair the fight tonight at 7 p.m. ET as an Instant Classic. In addition, ESPN Deportes will re-air the entire card on Saturday, September 5, at 7 p.m.
