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The history of PPV? | BoxingScene Community

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The history of PPV?

Cutthroat18y ago

What was the first sporting event to be on PPV? Boxing, UFC, and Wrestling are the only sports I see on PPV.

Comments (5)

The first pay-per-view system tested in the United states was the Zenith Phonevision system. Developed in 1949, it used telephone lines to take and receive orders as well as descramble a broadcast signal. Field tests were run for 90 days in Chicago. In 1950, Skiatron tested it's Subscriber-Vision system on WOR in New York City. The system used IBM punch cards to descramble the signal which was broadcast during the broadcasts stations "off-time". Both systems showed promise, but were denied permits by the FCC. One of the earliest pay-per-view systems on cable the Optical Systems Channel 100, which first saw service in 1972 in San Diego through Mission Cable (acquired by Cox Communications) and TheaterVisioN, which ran out of Sarasota, Florida. These early systems quickly went out of business, as the cable industry adopted satellite technology and flat rate systems like Home Box Office became popular. Pay per view began becoming popular when the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers began using the system after winning the championship in the 1977 season. During that time, it was operated on a few pay-TV services such as Z Channel, SelecTV, and ON-TV in select markets throughout the 1980s.

18y ago

The first major Pay-Per View event occurred on September 16, 1981, when Sugar Ray Leonard fought Thomas "Hitman" Hearns Thanks... Any closed-circuit trivia? I know they did that for some Ali fights...

18y ago

The first major Pay-Per View event occurred on September 16, 1981, when Sugar Ray Leonard fought Thomas "Hitman" Hearns

18y ago

Are you counting closed-circuit TV? I bet boxing beat wrestling but I can't confirm that. Now we have PPV packages for team sports... Individual soccer games are sometimes PPV in the United States HBO had a dirt car racing type thing on PPV a while ago. idk how succesful it was though

18y ago

Are you counting closed-circuit TV? I bet boxing beat wrestling but I can't confirm that. Now we have PPV packages for team sports... Individual soccer games are sometimes PPV in the United States

18y ago