HBO Boxing budget vs. SHO boxing budget

I keep hearing people say that HBO has this huge boxing budget compared to SHO which isn't the case anymore. Back in 1999-2000 the HBO budget was $100 million!! With that big of a budget they could afford to have DLH fighting on regular HBO, Trinidad vs. Whittaker on was also on regular HBO as were a lot of Lennox Lewis fights. Almost every year since then HBO has been slashing it's boxing budget, 5 years ago the HBO boxing budget was $70 million. Last year the budget was at it's lowest point probably ever at $35 million, I don't know the numbers for this year but I haven't seen any indication that the numbers would have gone up. More then likely the numbers have been slashed again for this year. Now SHO has always been the little brother to HBO never being able to compete since they have a smaller subscription base and couldn't match the 500 pound gorilla. With HBO neglecting it's boxing SHO has seen an opportunity and is actually increased it's boxing budget, 5 years ago SHO had $20 million for Boxing. Last year they increased it to at least $28 million. For 2013 Moonves was serious about upgrading Showtime's boxing content after losing Pacquiao back to HBO. He's responded by dramatically increasing Showtime's boxing budget http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/boxing/former-hbo-sports-exec-ross-greenburg-joins-showtime-184805714--box.html SHO got rid of MMA so that money was probably injected into the boxing budget, regardless SHO is making big moves while HBO is keeps downsizing the sport that put it on the map. So when you see people saying that SHO can't compete with HBO because of the budgets it's simply not true, they are probably neck and neck right now but we don't know the exact figures. 2012 Boxing budgets: Neither HBO nor Showtime discusses its boxing budget publicly. But two well-connected boxing sources said that, based on what they have been told and observed, HBO’s budget will be about $35 million this year, about half of what it spent as recently as five years ago. In contrast, Showtime will increase its budget to at least $28 million. http://m.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2012/01/02/Media/Showtime-HBO-boxing.aspx

Comments (20)

2019 is shaping to be the richest year in boxing history when it comes to broadcast fee's. https://i.gyazo.com/a67b042a3fcd3bbf35aa1d9f5486a10f.png https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2018/9/27/17910994/end-of-an-era-hbo-boxing-cancelled-45-years-news Pretty great for a sport that's been dead 100 years now. BTW that article was written before the Canelo/GBP deal with DAZN.

7y ago

Real_King_Kong

When hbo had 100 million boxing budget we had crap like jones jr-telesco, trinidad-thiam, and de la hoya-gatti on our Tvs At least during the trinidad vs thiam fight we got to hear big george calling thiam marmaduke.

10y ago

Check_hooks

HBO is still the boss. SHO got screwed by Al Haymon with PBC and GBP going back to HBO This was the worst year that I can ever remember for SHO And I'm not happy saying that but thats the facts HBO gave us miura vs gonzalez, cotto vs canelo, wlad vs fury, and that was all in the last month

10y ago

MartinC

HBO is still the boss.

10y ago

_Shawn

Shotime was the best when they had the smaller budget, and bought fights instead of fighters. We got things like Castillo Corrales, Vasquez Marquez, etc... If it was on Shotime, you knew it was going to be a good fight, because they didn't buy stinkers. Now its the other way around it seems. HBO usually puts on good fights, with Shotime just shills to mismatches for Haymon.

10y ago

_Shawn

Get your facts straight mayweather is the highest grossing ppv star. If you havent noticed he is the most payed sportman of 2012 and he does not even recieve any endorsement. And even if he was number 2 why the hell would they drop him it would very bad business decision and HBO is in the business of making money Hence why it is called PAY PER VIEW. Being the most payed doesn't mean the network makes the most money, that means Floyd is in a better position to negotiate a worse deal for the network. For example, Showtime. $200m contract, most of the fights flopped and lost money. Canelo and Pacquiao were good. They probably broke even overall. With Pacquiao there are not multi fight open ended, I might cherry pick terrible opponents that wont sell deals. Arum is on the hook to make sure its a profitable show.

10y ago

JQside

What good is a huge budget when all you come up with are mostly garbage fights? All they wanna do is build up stars out of scraps. Fans want to see stars fight each other NOW. Not wait till they finished fighting bums after bums. Exactly what I thought after seeing the thread's title. You can have the biggest budget and it's still nothing if all you want to make are meaningless fights.

10y ago

Hougigo

Any idea what the Modern Budget for both or either station is? I think it's around 30M now

10y ago

fragilety

Any idea what the Modern Budget for both or either station is?

10y ago

The_Gambler1981

I know what you mean about Lampley. You see that in a lot of sports. Guys who've been covering it forever and yet still seem to have no real feel for what's happening at all. With Lampley I think he's more into the narrative and the romance of boxing than the technical elements and that's what he ends up giving the viewers. That's what a lot of sports fans want anyway. Give them waffling, armchair psychological profiles of teams or fighters and they'll be fascinated. But give them a detailed technical breakdown and their eyes will glaze over. I guess you forget sometimes that obsessives who rewatch fights or games over and over again and have thousands of posts on sites like this one are actually in the minority. Which may or may not be a good thing. That is Jim Lampley's thing, no doubt

12y ago

Dr_Rumack

That is the thing, Lampley should be able to provide more given his vast experience but all I ever hear from him is stuff related to Gatti and Ward which is cool but damn bust out some other fight knowledge. I agree though I hate his analysis but he is fine just calling a fight, that is just a pet peeve of mine in relation to him but that also might have do with hearing him for too long. Mauro that is about right. I know what you mean about Lampley. You see that in a lot of sports. Guys who've been covering it forever and yet still seem to have no real feel for what's happening at all. With Lampley I think he's more into the narrative and the romance of boxing than the technical elements and that's what he ends up giving the viewers. That's what a lot of sports fans want anyway. Give them waffling, armchair psychological profiles of teams or fighters and they'll be fascinated. But give them a detailed technical breakdown and their eyes will glaze over. I guess you forget sometimes that obsessives who rewatch fights or games over and over again and have thousands of posts on sites like this one are actually in the minority. Which may or may not be a good thing.

12y ago

Hougigo

any ideas for numbers today?

12y ago

The_Gambler1981

I don't think Lampley should ever do anything apart from blow by blow commentary. His 'analysis' annoys the hell out of me. He does have a great voice though. Mauro is ok. He does sound like he's from a video game but his blow by blow is solid. That is the thing, Lampley should be able to provide more given his vast experience but all I ever hear from him is stuff related to Gatti and Ward which is cool but damn bust out some other fight knowledge. I agree though I hate his analysis but he is fine just calling a fight, that is just a pet peeve of mine in relation to him but that also might have do with hearing him for too long. Mauro that is about right.

12y ago

Dr_Rumack

Really he is more like Gus Johnson and he really does not even pretend to be an expert, I remember when they were talking scores and he was like I don't score I just call the action. I can respect that as long as the guy brings the excitement and he isn't bad for being new to calling boxing. Lampley should be a ****ing expert at this point he has called fights since the 80's, if you call boxing that long you should be able to bring more to the table in terms of insight than Lamps does. It is like Lampley hasn't picked up anything over the last 4 decades, but he does still bring excitement. I don't think Lampley should ever do anything apart from blow by blow commentary. His 'analysis' annoys the hell out of me. He does have a great voice though. Mauro is ok. He does sound like he's from a video game but his blow by blow is solid.

12y ago

The_Gambler1981

i used to hate him, but im starting to like him. He is HBO's Jim Lampley. He is the action voice guy. Although he doesnt know **** about boxing at least his voice gets exctiment going Really he is more like Gus Johnson and he really does not even pretend to be an expert, I remember when they were talking scores and he was like I don't score I just call the action. I can respect that as long as the guy brings the excitement and he isn't bad for being new to calling boxing. Lampley should be a ****ing expert at this point he has called fights since the 80's, if you call boxing that long you should be able to bring more to the table in terms of insight than Lamps does. It is like Lampley hasn't picked up anything over the last 4 decades, but he does still bring excitement.

12y ago

Chiboxing123

That rediculous why would they drop their highest grossing PPV boxer. They didn't want to over pay. I honestly think hbo is gonna get out of the fight game. They don't need boxing. Hopefully showtime is willing to take on the huge budget there gonna need with Haymon dictating to them

12y ago

WarMaidana

I'm sorry but I won't take Showtime serious with that Mauro guy calling fights. i used to hate him, but im starting to like him. He is HBO's Jim Lampley. He is the action voice guy. Although he doesnt know **** about boxing at least his voice gets exctiment going

12y ago

Chiboxing123

I'm sorry but I won't take Showtime serious with that Mauro guy calling fights. That guy is horrendous. The worst. Mama Mia wtf are u serious??

12y ago

The_Gambler1981

It would be interesting to see where it has gone since then, it would be hard to believe the trend has changed but it would be nice to see where they are really.

12y ago

artfuL_

If the budgets are that close between both companies that change in years might mean Showtime might exceed HBO in terms of budget in the near future.

12y ago