Manila – Unsurprisingly, Manny Pacquiao’s two round defeat of Briton Ricky Hatton on 3 May 2009 was the most-watched TV programme among national households in the Philippines according to Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS). GMA-7’s delayed telecast of the IBO light-welterweight world title boxing match captured 41.9 percent of viewers to lead the ratings race. Rival network ABS-CBN counter-programmed with the Philippine TV premiere of Shake, Rattle & Roll 9 and One More Chance – which rated second and third with 19.4 percent and 18.7 percent, respectively. Stateside, meanwhile, USA Today reported that the pay-per-view (PPV) sales for the Pacquiao-Hatton fight could reach 2 million buys, priced at around US$50 each. HBO spokesperson told Television Asia Plus that PPV totals had not yet been tabulated, but if reports prove true this would be the second highest total (non-heavyweight fight) PPV buys ever, worth around $100 million. HBO would be entitled to half of that, with the victor earning 52 percent and the loser 48 percent of the other $50 million. Pacquiao is estimated to have earned approx US$2 million per minute for the fight, which saw Hatton knocked out in only the second round. Oscar de la Hoya versus Floyd Mayweather Jr in May 2007 attracted 2.4 million buys, equalling US$134 million in revenues. Last year’s Pacquiao vs De la Hoya fight got 1.25 million PPV buys; in 2007 Hatton vs Mayweather earned 915,000 buys.