Boxing promoter Don King and News Corp. Chair Rupert Murdoch
"are set today to announce a stunning marriage that might be the
decisive blow in the heavyweight battle over the November 4
date." According to sources cited in this morning's L.A. TIMES,
King and Murdoch have agreed to a deal that will put Mike Tyson's
next fight -- scheduled to be against Buster Mathis Jr. at the
MGM Grand -- on Murdoch's Fox network. Fox would reportedly pay
King and Tyson less than $10M. Those connected with the Bowe-
Holyfield fight, also scheduled for November 4, but on Time
Warner/HBO's pay outlet, TVKO -- "said the King-Murdoch deal
proves that Tyson's bout wouldn't hold up as a pay-per-view
event." Bowe Manager Rock Newman: "If somebody gives you
something for free, it usually means it's because it's not worth
anything. It further validates public opinion that our event was
so superior that they got run out of the pay-per-view market"
(Tim Kawakami, L.A. TIMES, 9/14). Alan Goldstein of the
Baltimore SUN, who also reported the likely announcement, writes
that "the next move is up to" TVKO's Seth Abraham. The SUN's
Milton Kent calls the deal a "masterstroke for both the network
and the promoter" -- with one "caveat": "What advertiser, save
for the traditional beer sponsors, is going to want to have their
product associated with Tyson?" (Baltimore SUN, 9/14).
BETTER BOUTS ON CABLE? "Boxing will enjoy a much more
significant presence on ESPN2 in 1996," according to the latest
issue of INSIDE MEDIA, while there will be fewer, "but higher-
quality" matches, on ESPN. Bob Yalen, ESPN's Program Manager for
boxing as well as ABC's Boxing Coordinator, has moved to Bristol
to "spearhead" the cable network's efforts. ESPN is said to be
prepared to more than double rights fees -- currently at $60-
100,000 -- in hopes of attracting better matches. In addition,
while ESPN has had an exclusive deal with Bob Arum's Top Rank,
there is talk the network may "seek to cut deals with other
promoters as well" when Arum's contract expires after this year
(Brockinton & Reynolds, INSIDE MEDIA, 9/19 issue).
