Pacquiao Reaching Tens of Millions with Media Appearances:
Manny Pacquiao has been all over the media in the weeks leading up to his showdown with Antonio Margarito tomorrow from Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas. He has been a guest on Jimmy Kimmel, he has had a 60 Minutes special about his life and career, and he will be appearing on an NPR radio talk show. All told, he’s reaching millions and millions of individuals all across the country, including boxing fans, casual sporting fans and even more, enjoying a level of exposure that few modern boxers have ever received.
ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! will repeat the November 1 episode featuring Manny Pacquiao and Will Ferrell’s now-classic duet of John Lennon’s “Imagine” tonight at 12:05 a.m. ET/PT. As of this morning, You Tube had over 803,000 registered complete views of their four-minute clip. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jT4hHMIpnjU)
Manny, who attracted 16.5 million viewers to his 60 Minutes feature last Sunday, will also be a guest on Scott Simon’s Weekend Edition Saturday, tomorrow on NPR. Weekend Edition Saturday reaches three million listeners weekly.
Despite his burgeoning political career and aspirations, and his many media appearances away from the sport, it all comes down to the fight itself for Pacquiao. All of the increased exposure won’t mean anything if he loses to Margarito in the showdown Saturday evening. But for now, he can enjoy his increased mainstream status regardless of the outcome, and as he looks ahead towards a future in politics and other avenues of life away from the ring.
