HBO Launches Marketing Blitz To Promote De La Hoya-Pacquaio Bout

De La Hoya (l), Pacquaio Visit Statue Of Liberty During Promo Tour

HBO, along with partners Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank Promotions, is “staging an all-out blitz to hype” the December 6 Oscar De La Hoya-Manny Pacquaio fight, according to Stuart Miller of MULTICHANNEL NEWS. The publicity kicked off with a six-city tour with stops at the Statue of Liberty, the Golden Gate Bridge and NASA’s space center. Both fighters’ camps “will provide unprecedented levels of access via regular conference calls, ‘24/7’ episodes and assorted short-form programming.” While there will be some “traditional media publicity,” Top Rank Chair Bob Arum said there will be “unprecedented use of the Internet to reach a different demographic.” HBO “has agreed to allow Web sites to show the first episode of 24/7 and previous fights of [the] two men.” Also, events like the weigh-in “will be streamed live, with distribution not only on HBO’s sites but through Yahoo, AOL, ESPN, and FoxSports.com and some video access syndicated on up to 100 other sites in both English and Spanish.” HBO also has set up a Facebook program to “attract a broader, younger demo for this fight.” Arum: “We have an unprecedented marketing effort. … You only can do this level for a mega-event for these blockbusters this effort is the way of the future.” In Demand Exec VP/Programming David Asch: “The more tactics across more platforms will create more critical mass.” Meanwhile, Golden Boy has been “ringing up an unmatched lineup of sponsor activations, including newcomers like Smart Phone and DeWalt Tools and regular partners Tecate Beer and Southwest Airlines” (MULTICHANNEL NEWS, 11/24 issue).

FIGHTING OUT OF A CORNER: In Philadelphia, Bernard Fernandez writes how the De La Hoya-Pacquaio PPV fares "in a weakened economy might be of even more importance than its purely boxing implications.” HBO execs “have downgraded their expectations for De La Hoya-Pacquaio, but only slightly,” as they are still “hoping for sales of 1.5 million." However, that "might be a stretch," as the fight is going for $54.95. Meanwhile, De La Hoya, “mindful that he remains the biggest draw in a sport that clearly can’t afford to lose any more attractions, … is now hinting that he might fight on into 2009 and beyond.” If De La Hoya “proves he still has the right stuff inside the ropes, and PPV sales are reasonably robust, a signal will be sent out that boxing might be down again, but not necessarily out. And if not …” (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 11/25).

Hatton (r) Could Face De La Hoya At Wembley Stadium In '09

RING THE BELL: Boxer Ricky Hatton indicated that a fight against De La Hoya at Wembley Stadium “could become a reality,” with senior Golden Boy officials “prepared to stage the fight on a Sunday rather than a Saturday.” In London, Gareth Davies notes a Saturday night fight “would require a special license from Wembley to allow the fight to take place around midnight, or even later.” Events at Wembley “must finish by 11:15pm, making it outside the prime time hour for a US audience.” The fight “would need underwriting by the television companies,” and Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer said, “We are looking into it at a major UK stadium, with a covering, and it could take place on a Sunday, at an earlier time of say 10pm.” Ray Hatton, Ricky’s father and manger, said, “We will wait for [the] outcome of Oscar against Manny Pacaquaio, and then sit down and make some decisions” (London TELEGRAPH, 11/25).

OFF THE ROPES: ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael reported a “week after the fight was left for dead, the Antonio Margarito-Shane Mosley welterweight title match was resurrected" yesterday. The deal originally worked out between Top Rank and Golden Boy “will remain the same but HBO came up with additional money that will be paid directly to Top Rank and Margarito.” The amount "was not disclosed, but it was enough to satisfy Margarito." Schaefer: “Everyone is always pounding on HBO but they really stepped up and found a way to get it done. Fans should thank HBO for getting it done” (ESPN.com, 11/24).