STAMFORD, Conn. — The new prime-time boxing series averaged 3.4 million viewers in its debut.
"Premier Boxing Champions" aired Saturday night on NBC with Keith Thurman's unanimous decision over Robert Guerrero and Adrien Broner's unanimous decision over John Molina Jr. It was the network's first major prime-time boxing broadcast in 30 years.
The series was created by Al Haymon's management company to try to boost the sport by making it available to a wider audience.
The 3.4 million viewers were 21 percent higher than the 2.8 million averaged by the UFC on Fox this TV season.
While the overall viewership was about the same as a typical Saturday night for NBC this TV season, the audience for adults ages 18-49 was up by 56 percent. NBC said Monday that it had the highest prime-time rating among all networks Saturday in that advertiser-coveted demographic.
