HBO and Time Warner are starting their new boxing relationship early as CNN will air the pay TV service's 24/7 preview series for the Sept. 17 Floyd Mayweather-Victor Ortiz fight.
HBO and Time Warner will team for the PPV distribution of the Nov. 12 Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez fight, which would include using Time Warner's digital and cable assets to promote the marquee PPV event.
For Mayweather-Ortiz, CNN will air replays of the weekly four-episode 24/7Mayweather-Ortiz series beginnning Aug. 27 according to network officials. Episode one of the series, which takes a behind-the-scenes pass to the fighters' training camps, will air at midnight on the 27th following the HBO premiere at 10p.m . Episode two will air on CNN Sept. 3 at midnight.
Episodes three and four will air back-to-back on CNN on Friday, Sept. 16 at midnight, less than 24 hours before the live fight PPV telecast from Las Vegas.
The agreement marks the first time the news network has carried HBO's 24/7 boxing series, but CNN could also be in line to air the eventual 24/7 series for the Pacquiao-Marquez bout, according to sources.
