Mayweather said he planned to fight again in September, a short turnaround for him, as part of a six-fight deal he has with the Showtime network.

NPR: Mayweather Marvelous In Easy Win

Froch won his first fight in American network Showtime's Super Six tournament, beating American Andre Dirrell, and a victory over 31-year-old Kessler would go a long way towards assuring him a semi-final spot.

BBC: Carl Froch's bout with Mikkel Kessler to defy ash cloud

But CBS also credited higher distribution fees for CBS stations as well as cable networks such as Showtime and CBS Sports Network.

WSJ: Media companies benefit from higher network fees

Showtime and others outside the network insist the Guerrero fight will narrowly beat the one million mark once everything is counted, while other boxing insiders told Forbes that the fight is likely to top out at 875, 000 buys.

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When David Nevins took over as chief of entertainment at Showtime last summer, the premium cable network was hardly in the kind of shambles an executive shake-up typically entails.

FORBES: With 'The Kennedys' Out And Gigolos In, It's Showtime For David Nevins

Ms. Fuentes said past seasons of current shows on the network will be available on Showtime's own streaming service, which is offered to its subscribers behind a pay wall.

WSJ: CBS to Remove Some Showtime Content From Netflix

What's more, the heavily hyped series from The Sopranos writer-producer Matthew Weiner, which HBO, Showtime and others famously passed on, has redefined its formerly moribund host network.

FORBES: Entertainment

When the Comcast deal finally closes at the end of the month, f ormer Showtime entertainment chief Bob Greenblatt will have a chance to put his creative stamp on the network.

FORBES: Another Exec Bites The Dust At NBC