Top Rank on ESPN Lomachenko vs. Rigondeaux is Second Highest-Rated Boxing Telecast on Cable in 2017
Last night’s fight between Vasiliy Lomachenko (10-1-0, 7 KO) vs. Guillermo
Rigondeaux (17-1-0, 11 KO) delivered big on ratings, making it the second
highest-rated boxing telecast on cable in 2017, according to Nielsen
overnight ratings. It was an electric, full house at the *Theater at
Madison Square Garden* in New York City that watched two of the top ten
pound-for-pound fighters in the world, both two-time Olympic gold medal
winners, battle it out for the WBO Junior Lightweight World Title.
Lomachenko wowed with a sixth-round TKO.
Three additional fights rounded out Saturday’s cable television card with
marquee appearances by rising stars Shakur Stevenson, Chris Diaz and Mick
Conlan, all three placing in the top ten fights of the year.
With the Lomachenko vs. Rigondeaux results in, ESPN now has secured seven
of the top ten rated fights of the year and the highest-rated fights on
cable television since July 1. In just six months, since the *Top Rank on
ESPN* debut, ESPN has generated impressive ratings results with its boxing
events starting with its telecast of Pacquiao vs Horn, the #1 rated fight
of the year.
*2017 Top Ten Fights on Cable Television*
*DATE*
*NETWORK*
*FIGHT*
*MTRD MKT RTG*
07/01/2017
ESPN
Manny Pacquiao vs Jeff Horn
2.4
12/09/2017
ESPN
Vasiliy Lomachenko vs Guillermo Rigondeaux
1.5
12/09/2017
ESPN
Shakur Stevenson vs. Oscar Mendoza
1.1
12/09/2017
ESPN
Michael Conlon vs. Luis Molina
1.1
11/25/2017
HBO
Sergey Kovalev vs. Vyacheslav Shabranskyy
1.1
08/19/2017
ESPN
Terence Crawford vs Julius Indongo
1.0
11/11/2017
ESPN
Artur Beterbiev vs. Enrico Koelling
1.0
12/09/2017
ESPN
Chris Diaz vs. Bryant Cruz
1.0
11/25/2017
HBO
Sullivan Barrera vs. Felix Valera
1.0
Multiple tied at
0.9
*Top Things to Know*
· Last night’s *Top Rank on ESPN* telecast featuring Vasiliy
Lomachenko vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux averaged a 1.3 metered market rating
· Based on overnight ratings, last night’s event alone also secured
four of the year’s top ten rated boxing fights on cable
· Based on overnight ratings, this is the second highest-rated
boxing telecast on cable in 2017 and the second highest-rated boxing
telecast on ESPN since the start of 2016
· Las Vegas was the top local market, where the telecast averaged a
3.0 metered market rating, including a 4.5 rating during the main event
*Top Local Markets*
Las Vegas and Tulsa were the top two markets for the full telecast, with a
3.0 metered market rating.
*Rank*
*Market*
*Metered Market Rating*
1
Las Vegas
3.0
2
Tulsa
3.0
3
Oklahoma City
2.7
4
Knoxville
2.5
5
Norfolk-Portsmith-Newport
2.3
Next up on *Top Rank on ESPN* is the title fight between b*oxing’s
Cinderella Man, Jeff “the Hornet” Horn and Gary “Hellraiser” Corcoran.
The *WBO Welterweight championship fight will air live from Brisbane,
Australia Wednesday, December 13, at 6:30 a.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN
Deportes, and stream live on the ESPN App. Horn (17-0-1, 11 KOs) will be
risking his newly-minted World Boxing Organization (WBO)
Gary “Hellraiser” Corcoran (17-1, 7 KOs), of London. It will be the Brit’s
first fight outside the United Kingdom. Horn vs. Corcoran will re-air the
same day at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
