Menu
Media

Despite Age, Albert's Hire By NBC, Premier Boxing Champions May Prove Brilliant

It "might seem a curious choice on the part of NBC and the Premier Boxing Champions" to name Marv Albert their No. 1 voice, but "on so many levels, it was a brilliant idea," according to Kevin Iole of YAHOO SPORTS. The soon-to-be 74-year-old "hasn't called a boxing match since" the '88 Seoul Games and NBC and boxing manager Al Haymon "could have gone out and named an edgy 30-something announcer with the idea he or she could have appealed more to the younger audience." However, Albert in many ways is the "perfect choice to bring and keep that younger audience." His passion for the sport "is unmistakable," and if the announcer cares and is "enthralled by what he's seeing, there's a good chance he'll bring the viewer into that moment with him" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 3/2). Albert said, "I have always loved boxing and I still watch it on HBO and Showtime. There’s always an electric feeling with a big fight.” He added that he was "thrilled to be back at NBC, and also excited about working on-air for the first time with Al Michaels." SI.com's Richard Deitsch noted Albert "will work alongside" Boxing HOFer Sugar Ray Leonard. The two "recently called a practice fight together" in N.Y. when NBC "brought in real boxers and labeled them" as the super lightweight boxers who headline the net's first card (SI.com, 3/1).

WHAT'S THE RIGHT HOOK? BROADCASTING & CABLE's John Consoli writes NBC and CBS re-entering the boxing business "might be a head-scratcher for some industry observers, but the move makes perfect sense" to the nets. They "get their money upfront and don't have to worry about selling advertising to recoup a rights fee." In the process, the nets "have the opportunity to air live sports events that could potentially draw more viewers than the programming they are currently airing on Saturdays, revive interest in the sport and ultimately lead to new programming franchises that they can eventually buy the rights to at reasonable prices" (BROADCASTING & CABLE, 3/2 issue). Meanwhile, Bounce TV has signed a multiyear deal to televise live PBC events in a monthly two-hour series called "PBC The Next Round," premiering in July (Bounce).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2015/03/03/Media/Albert-PBC.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2015/03/03/Media/Albert-PBC.aspx

CLOSE