The possibility of boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s final bout airing on CBS "remains a long shot, in part because of the challenges of selling ad space on such short notice," according to a source cited by Mitch Abramson of the N.Y. DAILY NEWS. The more likely scenario is that Mayweather "fights on Showtime PPV in September" against Andre Berto. While nothing has been "finalized, those close to Mayweather view the option of fighting on free TV as a shrewd business move from a public relations perspective, even if it may not be practical at the moment." The source said that Mayweather was also "motivated by the splash he would make by ending his career on free television." Abramson noted Mayweather’s May 2 fight against Manny Pacquiao "drew a record 4.4 million buys on PPV and earned him a purse" of more than $200M. Fighting on CBS "would assure him of a much smaller payday." Mayweather is "rumored to have a guarantee" of around $30M per fight in his Showtime deal. However, a source said that the deal "was 'flexible' and would allow him to fight on CBS." A source said that a "bigger obstacle" to putting the fight on CBS is "determining how much advertising revenue can be hoarded for the fight on such short notice since that is where the income is generated" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 7/22). In N.Y., Bob Raissman writes the Mayweather camp is "precisely calculating where the most money can be made." This bout "belongs on CBS," as it would give "millions of eyeballs, who could not afford to pay the PPV price to see him in the past, the chance to witness a Mayweather fight." Providing that opportunity "would not fully repair Mayweather’s stained image," but it would "provide an opportunity to show another side of him." For Mayweather’s manager Al Haymon, who has "returned boxing to 'free' TV in a big way with his Premier Boxing Champions series, putting boxing’s biggest star on CBS would show a further commitment to the concept and more evidence that it won’t be short-lived" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 7/24).
FIVE FOR FIGHTING: Boxer Wladimir Klitschko and longtime German television partner RTL announced that he has "signed a five-fight contract extension with the network." Klitschko is in the "midst of a contract with HBO" in the U.S. (ESPN.com, 7/23).
