Inside TNT's unlikely bet to 'revive boxing' for the U.S. masses, 1.6 million viewers later
TNT is the rare U.S. TV network these days willing to embrace boxing. After the first two events drew a combined 1.6 million viewers, top executives hope Friday's Andy Ruiz fight will be a big step forward.
TNT has partnered with DAZN to bring boxing back to U.S. television, hoping to revive the sport's popularity among casual fans. The deal was signed in April and began on July 4 with Abdullah Mason's WBO lightweight championship fight, which drew 750,000 viewers. The network's executive vice president, Craig Barry, explained that they were searching for opportunities to enter contact sports and saw boxing as a viable option due to its lack of presence on cable television.
TNT aims to build a brand around boxing through studio shows and pre-fight programming, similar to how HBO did in the past. Adam Lefkoe, a host on the show, expressed his appreciation for the network's laid-back approach and the real, unfiltered reactions it encourages. With successful fights like Andy Ruiz Jr.'s bout against Damian Knyba scheduled for this Friday, TNT hopes to attract a wider audience and create tentpole events that will help revitalize interest in the sport.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
