Boxing manager Al Haymon's vision of what the sport "ought to be will be on display for the first time on Saturday," when "Premier Boxing Champions" debuts on NBC live from Las Vegas, according to Kevin Iole of YAHOO SPORTS. The show will be a "symphony of light, sound and visuals never before seen during a live boxing match" and "more akin to an Olympics Opening Ceremony or a Super Bowl production." Haymon's team has "created an elaborate in-arena experience that ... needs to be seen to be believed." Executive Visions President & CEO and "PBC" Exec Producer Michael Marto said that Haymon's idea was to "make the experience of being at the venue live to be as good or better than it will be by watching on television." Marto: "Your senses will be engaged the minute you come in. You will hear like you've never heard before. You will hear announcers; you will hear coverage; you will hear a phenomenal music score created by an Academy Award-winning composer. ... It feels like something worthy of coming to. And we've scored the PBC brand no differently than we would for a major motion picture." Iole reports there is a "stunning scoreboard that hangs above the ring" that is "made up on each side of 120 panels which are roughly two feet by two feet apiece." The scoreboard "sits between two circular rings." The lower ring is "roughly 100 feet in diameter" and includes 55 HD cameras that will "track the fight from every angle and which NBC will incorporate into its broadcast." The top ring is "roughly 80 feet in diameter and is a massive message board that will display information about the fight and the fighters." Two sections of seats at the east end of the arena "have been removed and in their place will be a stage with state-of-the art LED screens" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 3/6). In Milwaukee, Gary D'Amato noted NBC will "debut a 360-degree camera system" called "Round-A-Bout." The technology, which has "never before used in boxing," will consist of 32 cameras "mounted above the ring to present a rotatable field of view and zoom-in ability" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 3/5).
HAVING A CONSISTENT LOOK: Marto would not discuss cost of the production, other than to say it is on par with what a promoter would spend on production for the more elaborate of concert tours. While that far exceeds what boxing promotions have spent in the past, the "PBC" will lessen the load of the expense by amortizing it across 40 events a year over three years. It is also part of a brand play, giving the "PBC" a consistent look as its events move across NBC, CBS, Spike and Bounce TV. “It’s an epic entertainment experience and it’s a brand,” Marto said. “Take a look at how we’re handling the colors of the brand. The lighting is all going to match. We’ll have brand consistency.” Though not all venues will be able to accommodate all the elements at their full size, even the scaled down versions will carry the same look, Marto said. “When we don’t have the vertical height we’ll take the trusses and flip them up and make a derivative that still feels like the 'PBC' brand. This is the epic presentation. But the Bs and Cs will be good and you’ll still know it’s the 'PBC'” (Bill King, Senior Staff Writer).
A FIGHTING CHANCE: In Las Vegas, Case Keefer noted Haymon's vision for the series is the "increased exposure providing a valuable platform for up-and-coming fighters and ultimately ushering in a new golden age for boxing." The risk is the "possibility that boxing is destined to remain a niche option not capable of drawing an audience comparable to other professional sports." Fighters like Keith Thurman, Adrien Broner and Abner Mares, who are "all under age 30, specifically have been labeled as potential heir apparents to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao as boxing’s biggest stars." "PBC" puts the focus "squarely on them" (LAS VEGAS SUN, 3/4). In California, Shad Powers wrote boxing "needs help," as it has been "stuck up against the ropes for a while now." Any attempt to "help the sport regain its place in the American consciousness is a good idea." If "PBC" is successful, it will be "beneficial to Haymon, certainly, but at the same time, if it creates more interest in boxing, it will be beneficial to the sport as a whole." Powers: "A rising tide lifts all bouts, you might say" (Palm Springs DESERT SUN, 3/5). In N.Y., William Rhoden writes the $20M question is if there are "enough boxing fans to make this work." Rhoden: "More important, is there enough blood lust to bring boxing back into the sports mainstream in America?" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/6).
