When pay-per-view results start coming in after a big fight it sounds a lot like a presidential election.  Exit polling, precinct predictions, pre-paid accounts…they all point toward whether a fight is going to do big numbers, which is why Ross Greenburg, president of HBO Sports, knew De La Hoya-Mayweather was going to be a record-setter long before the official announcement came Wednesday. “Late (last) week I knew we were on to something big and that it was a crossover fight that was bringing the average sports fan to the set,” Greenburg said Thursday to a small gathering of reporters at the HBO Building near Times Square in Manhattan. “I thought we were definitely going to blow by the De La Hoya-Trinidad numbers and I started to dream of setting a record.”

 

The dream turned into reality with the announcement of 2.15 million pay-per-view buys for Floyd Mayweather’s split decision win over Oscar De La Hoya at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.  It’s a record for total pay-per-view buys passing the previous mark of 1.99 million set during Evander Holyfield-Mike Tyson II in 1997 and easily passing the old record of 1.4 million for a non-heavyweight when De La Hoya met Felix Trinidad in 1999. The revenue generated was $120 million and that’s not counting income for the other 175 countries that watch the fight.

 

“I’m real proud of our people,” Greenburg said citing the entire HBO family.

 

Predicting what the pay-per-view numbers would be drew almost as much conversation during fight week as the fight itself.  The promotion was unprecedented.  An 11-city tour, marketing campaigns by various sponsors, and about  $50 million in promotion and advertising got the word out about the fight. Then a four-episode HBO series called “24/7” showed the behind-the-scenes preparation and the lifestyles of both boxers.  It all worked together to make it the richest event in the history of the sport.

 

“I think the impact of the 11-city tour and the 24/7 series set a whole new tone for promotion,” Greenburg said. “The reality is boxing has had these kind of storylines for over a hundred years and people have always wanted to dig into the lives of prize fighters because like Floyd they have such rich histories and stories.”

 

Greenburg plans to tell more of these stories.  He envisions using 24/7 to promote future big fights. “If there’s two good solid fighters matched up against each other and they both have interesting personalities, why not?” he said. “There’s obviously a blue print here. It’s not brain surgery. We’re on to something. If this is the commitment we have to make to take boxing back to the glory days of the 80s let’s do it.”

 

Just when the 24/7 series will be used again depends on the fight and the fighters. Greenburg said middleweight champion Jermain Taylor,  former world champion Shane Mosley, welterweight champ Miguel Cotto would all qualify. So would select up and coming fighters.

 

“You have to have the right fighters, the right family atmospheres and the charismatic personalities to justify a series like that,” Greenburg said, “and I don’t think you can always expect to break the pay-per-view record. But I think you can add quite a bit of human interest in each fight through 24/7. It’s great storytelling and people were connected to them. That’s why it snowballed and that’s why it took on another proportion.”

 

Still, it will be tough to match the Mayweathers for their blend of characters and controversy. Between Roger, Floyd and Floyd Sr., they made compelling television.  Floyd was the star, of course. At times profane, always confident, and constantly trash talking, he made you listen to his every word even if it offended you.

 

“To me he was more like the Ali showman,” Greenburg said. “That’s really what he was. Not the villain. It was like he was on stage and having a good time, being animated. He’s got a magnetic personality. People feed off him. I think the sky’s the limit for this kid.”

 

Yesterday, Mayweather was at the HBO Offices where he taped a segment reviewing footage of last Saturday’s fight.  De La Hoya was patched in via satellite to join Mayweather in the commentary that will be shown when HBO replays De La Hoya-Mayweather at 10 p.m. EST Saturday.

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