CBS’ McManus Bullish on Boxing

CBS will step into the squared ring this afternoon (April 4) with the first of several network distributed boxing cards which will help build awareness for the sport, according to CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus.

The fight card, develop by CBS in association with Premier Boxing Champions, will pit light heavweight champion Adonis Stevenson against Sakio Bika in the main event. The event will be the first of as many as eight boxing shows to air on CBS and CBS Sports Network, according to network officials.

McManus told Multichannel News that the creation of Premier Boxing Champions on CBS – along with similar PBC deals with NBC, Spike TV and Bounce TV – will help build awareness for the sport through exposure of the fighters on broadcast and cable television.

“When we were growing up watching sports on television whether it was CBS, NBC or ABC, there were fights on every weekend, and that help build interest in the fighters and interest in the sport,” McManus said. “That hasn’t happened in over 20 years – the fact that it’s happening more now is good for the sport.”

While McManus would not reveal specifics of deal terms for the package, he said “the way the business deal is constructed is a good” for the network.  

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.