Numbers In For Kovalev, Adonis Fights on HBO

Light heavyweight title-holders Adonis Stevenson and Sergey Kovalev drew solid numbers for HBO on Thanksgiving Weekend.

HBO’s telecast from Quebec City featured Adonis Stevenson scoring a 6^th round TKO over Tony Bellew and attracted 1,305,000 viewers. That surpasses both of Stevenson’s prior HBO bouts (11% above Stevenson vs. Cloud 1,177,000 viewers on September 28 and 27% above Stevenson vs. Dawson 1,024,000 viewers on June 8). Stevenson vs. Bellew ranks as HBO and cable TV’s 5th most watched bout in 2013. Stevenson vs. Bellew peaked at 1,358,000 viewers.

Sergey Kovalev registered a 2^nd round KO over Ismayl Sillakh to retain his light heavyweight crown. The fight attracted 1,254,000 viewers. That’s 242% above Kovalev’s first-ever appearance on HBO last August 17 vs. Nathan Cleverly (367,000 viewers). Kovalev vs. Sillahk ranks as cable’s 8th most watched bout in 2013. Kovalev vs. Sillakh peaked at 1,327,000 viewers.

18 of the top 19 performing fights on cable TV this year have aired on HBO, the sport’s leading television platform in the U.S. HBO Boxing’s fall season concludes with a tripleheader from Atlantic City on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

WATCH RELATED VIDEOS ON BOXINGCHANNEL.TV