Thurman-Garcia Receives Top TV Ratings
PHILADELPHIA, PA (CBS) — CBS was the No. 1 network in prime time on Saturday night, according to Nielsen overnight ratings, with the live broadcast of Showtime Championship Boxing on CBS, presented by Premier Boxing Champions. The broadcast, which was produced by SHOWTIME Sports, featured a welterweight world championship unification fight between undefeated champions Keith Thurman (WBA) and Danny Garcia (WBC).
Thurman won a close split decision to unify the belts.
The broadcast earned a 2.2 rating from 9 p.m. – 11:15 p.m. ET, up 22% over the previous June 25, 2016 Showtime Championship Boxing on CBS broadcast featuring Keith Thurman vs. Shawn Porter (1.8 rating).
Thurman (28-0, 22 KOs) of Clearwater, Fl., defeated Garcia (33-1, 19 KOs) of Philadelphia via split decision to become the Unified Welterweight World Champion. The main event aired live on CBS and took place at Barclays Center, the home of Brooklyn Boxing.
The broadcast was produced by Showtime Sports for the CBS Television Network. The event was held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, before a record-setting crowd of 16,533, the largest crowd for a boxing event in that arena.
The close fight, which was only the third time undefeated champions came together to unify the 147-pound division, when judges John McKaie (116-112) and Joseph Pasquale (115-113) ruled for Thurman, and judge Kevin Morgan (115-113) had it for Garcia.
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