Spinks Kept the Belt. ABC Wanted Ali.

Seven months after losing his title in one of boxing's biggest upsets, Muhammad Ali stepped back into the ring against the man who beat him, and the broadcast deal built around that rematch said everything about who the real draw was. On September 15, 1978, Ali faced reigning heavyweight champion Leon Spinks at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, in a rematch ABC paid a record $5.3 million to broadcast live. Ali won a unanimous decision after fifteen rounds, becoming the first fighter in history to win the heavyweight title three times, while the broadcast itself drew an estimated 90 million viewers across roughly 80 countries. The episode traces how the media deal around the fight treated Ali, not the defending champion, as the true commercial center of the event.From bsnsHistory, the daily podcast about the moments when business quietly reshaped the world.Written and hosted by Ron Trucks. Research and editing by Rodney Russ. Sound design by Angela Cahoy. Music by Cody Martin and Soundstripe.For more daily business stories, visit www.bsnsDAILYpodcasts.com