For decades, major boxing pay-per-view cards have started at 9 p.m. ET. But many recent pay-per-views have had main events begin later and later, often well after midnight on the East Coast as drowsy-eyed viewers struggled to stay up for the main event.

That will change for the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Marcos Maidana welterweight championship rematch on Sept. 13 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Showtime PPV, Golden Boy and Mayweather Promotions have decided to move the start time up one hour to 8 p.m. ET, which should mean a main event that begins well before midnight -- good news for those in the Eastern and Central time zones, which make up nearly 80 percent of the U.S. population.

"Pay-per-view boxing events have changed, and we think it's time the scheduling changed, too," Showtime Sports executive vice president and general manager Stephen Espinoza said in making the announcement. “Along with our partners at Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions, we have been presenting compelling four-fight cards with multiple 12-round world championship bouts. As a result, we've seen the start of the main event coming later and later into the night which is not an ideal viewing experience for viewers in the Eastern and Central time zones. No other major sport makes a significant portion of their audiences wait until well past midnight for the peak of the event. Showtime PPV will no longer be one of the exceptions."

This is a welcome change and one HBO PPV should also consider.