Sports Biz

Published: Friday, 13 Nov 2009 | 3:14 PM ET

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Those who catch the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight this weekend might be surprised by the presence of one of the fight’s sponsors.

It’s a HISTORY reality show called "Pawn Stars," which has bought its way into the bout.

The HISTORY show, whose second season begins Nov. 30, not only has its logo in the ring and on elements of the HBO broadcast, but also had the stars of the family pawn business that the show profiles infiltrating elements of the fight’s buildup.

Over the years, we’ve become used to networks using their sports broadcasts to promote their own programming, but is different since HBO and HISTORY have different parent companies.

“We are always looking to bring in new viewers to our network and we’ve successfully done that,” said Chris Moseley, senior vice president of marketing for HISTORY. “We like to be in unexpected places where we know our kind of viewers are going to be. And this was the perfect opportunity.”

“Pawn Stars” takes viewers inside the business of a family-run pawnshop in Las Vegas and the three generations in the Harrison family that manages it. Moseley said that the program’s first season generated the second-highest ratings for a HISTORY series.

Leverage Agency negotiated the deal for Top Rank, the promotions company that is putting on the fight. Horizon Media negotiated the unique deal for HISTORY.

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