Showtime and CBS Thursday announced that "three of the four episodes that Showtime is producing of the documentary series 'Fight Camp 360°: Pacquiao vs. Mosley' will air on CBS," including one just hours before the May 7 Manny Pacquiao-Shane Mosley PPV bout in Las Vegas, according to Dan Rafael of ESPN.com. The series, in which both camps will provide "behind-the-scenes access," begins April 2 on CBS "just before the network's coverage of the NCAA Final Four begins." That episode will replay on Showtime on April 16 at 10:00pm ET. The second episode will air on Showtime on April 23 at 10:00pm, with the third airing on CBS on April 30 at 8:00pm. The finale will debut on May 6 on Showtime at 10:00pm and will replay on CBS at 2:00pm on May 7. Rafael noted Showtime "launched the 'Fight Camp' franchise last year to follow the lives and buildup to the matches and business side of its ongoing Super Six World Boxing Classic, a six-man tournament featuring most of the world's top super middleweights" (ESPN.com, 2/10). BUSINESS INSIDER's Adam Fusfeld wrote series like "Fight Camp 360°" "effectively ... promote a signature sporting event." Fusfeld: "Fans come to appreciate just how much these athletes prepare for their competitions and, more importantly, it humanizes athletes and helps us forge a personal bond" (BUSINESSINSIDER.com, 2/10). Meanwhile,
ALL EYES ON ME: In L.A., Lance Pugmire writes by "shunning HBO this time around," Top Rank Chair Bob Arum "showed he is sold on the idea that the involvement of CBS will make this Pacquiao's strongest pay-per-view ever," exceeding the more than 1.25 million PPV buys Pacquiao-De La Hoya earned in '08 (L.A. TIMES, 2/11). Bloomberg TV's Michele Steele notes Pacquiao’s move from HBO to Showtime is a "big loss for HBO, which was widely perceived as having cornered the market for the best fights here.” Pacquiao's last fight, a unanimous decision over Antonio Margarito in November, generated 1.15 million PPV buys and $64M in PPV revenue for HBO. Pacquiao has generated "at least 1 million buys per fight on average for three straight years." Steele: "We have not seen these kinds of numbers since Mike Tyson.” It is “no secret” that Arum has “wanted to give boxing … a bigger platform,” and while Showtime is in “fewer homes than HBO, CBS on the other hand is in over three times as many” (Bloomberg TV, 2/11).
