NBC finds fans passionate for pugilism

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Pugilism passion

Before deciding to give boxing a prime-time slot, NBC executives scoured chatboards and social media sites to determine if there would be an audience. While interest in the sport had waned among general sports fans, they found that boxing’s hard-core fans were as passionate as the fans of any sport.

“It’s like a stock that’s been a little bit depressed because of the way it’s been managed over the years,” said Ron Wechsler, senior vice president of original programming and development at NBC Sports. “There’s a real passion for the sport. The things that make the sport compelling haven’t changed.”

Wechsler said he was happy with Premier Boxing Champions’ prime-time debut, which averaged 3.4 million viewers on March 7.

NBC’s next boxing telecast will be April 11 from Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.