There were some rumors that Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s next fight would air on CBS rather than pay-per-view, but it appears that will not be the case.
Mayweather has plans to fight in mid-September like usual, reportedly against Andre Berto, though his opponent has not been officially announced. Rumors said the fight might air for free on CBS as sort of a makeup to fight fans for how disappointing Money’s bout with Manny Pacquiao was. SI’s Chris Mannix reports to the contrary.
Floyd Mayweather's opponent is still being worked out for Sep. 12th. However it's a virtual lock to wind up on Showtime PPV, per sources.
— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) July 25, 2015
Much chatter about Mayweather/CBS. But as SI has reported for weeks: Financially, this was never a realistic option.
— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) July 25, 2015
Likewise, we never felt that Mayweather fighting on an over-the-air channel was realistic. CBS/Showtime would have to sell commercials at Super Bowl-like prices to come close to what can be earned through pay-per-view, and fights only last around half an hour, compared to a three-plus hour football game.
The LA Times’ Lance Pugmire also reports that the fight will likely be on Showtime pay-per-view rather than CBS. He says Mayweather was exploring the possibility of fighting on CBS to see if advertising revenue could yield similar amounts to pay-per-view. Pugmire also reports that Berto is the likely opponent rather than Amir Khan. He says Khan, who has ripped Mayweather many times in the past, talked his way out of the fight because he was told to keep quiet. Instead, Khan kept criticizing Floyd and will now be missing out on a big pay day.
