The "first dividend" of the CBS/Viacom merger "might
well benefit boxing," according to Chuck Finder of the
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, who reports that Showtime and CBS
announced that they "are combining forces to bring boxing to
the masses." Four heavyweight fights airing on Showtime in
June will be "repackaged and rebroadcast as three, one-hour
shows in July" on CBS. Showtime Senior VP Jay Larkin: "The
exposure CBS brings to the sport is like pumping new blood
into a sport that desperately needs it." CBS Sports
President Sean McManus: "If we get the ratings we hope to
get, we might look to doing live boxing in the future"
(POST-GAZETTE, 5/26). McManus: "Our competition in July is
golf, and we're putting Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield
against that. We haven't done a rating projection, yet, but
if we get a 2.5 to 3.0, we will be enormously happy"
(ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 5/26). In Boston, Jim Baker reports
that the news represents the "first major-network boxing in
two years" (BOSTON HERALD, 5/26). McManus said Ian Eagle
and Wallace Matthews may handle the broadcasts and that CBS
would have related NCAA basketball, NFL and U.S. Open tennis
programming with Nickelodeon and MTV (USA TODAY, 5/26).
