HBO’s million-dollar Emmy

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

As the hype heats up for the Dec. 6 Oscar De La Hoya-Manny Pacquiao fight in Las Vegas, a 12-rounder at 147 pounds between two of the sport’s best, the HBO series ‘24/7’ takes center stage.

HBO produces the 24/7 show as the ultimate promotion for its major fights. Its intent is to push the pay-per-view buys for that night at the premium price of $54.95.

The shows, slickly done and running frequently over the two or three weeks before the fights, take viewers up close and personal with the fighters. The 24/7 show has won three Emmy Awards for the shows that run free of advertising. Richard Schaefer, chief executive of De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, explained the other day how that works.

‘We pay for that,’ he said. ‘This one was seven figures. We do that because it really boosts our promotion, really lets people see our fighters in a different light.

‘I like them. I even have one of the Emmy’s on my office desk, and I’ll get to keep it there until after this fight, when Oscar comes back, and it will go to his office.’

So, basically, you paid $1 million for that Emmy, Schaefer was asked.

‘Yup, pretty much,’ he said.

-- Bill Dwyre