Just saw a commercial for 'Spike Sports'

They've had three cards on Bounce this year and another one scheduled for next month. They had three total cards on Bounce last year. 4 cards in 7 months...enough said. they dont care enough about it. these are fs1 toe to toe level cards with not even half the cards

I doubt that ESPN or BounceTV drop boxing (BounceTV especially, as the fight cards have shown themselves to be ratings hits for a network that has very little of it's own original content to push). I can easily see a point where ESPN, in the next deal, locks in a summer series of fights for their channel, while sports fans wait for football to come back and the folks who stuck around for basketball come down off of their buzz. May though August for the main crux of the shows, 10 shows per year (8 shows during the "season", with two shows added at points throughout the rest of the year. Nah. ESPN is going to make a massive bid for UFC. That's why fox may want PBC long term. Its pretty well know. ESPN wants in mma and doesnt even like boxing. As for bounce. They hardly do any shows. They just aren't interested.

Spike Sports has a twitter: https://twitter.com/SpikeSports three years in, and I'm just seeing that. will be interesting to watch.

Maybe Fox/FS1 becomes the new Schaefer vehicle, filled with Haymon prospects and on-the-verge types. that could work; main issue would be where Schaefer would go to fill the full slate of dates though (my general thinking would be that the Showtime/CBS package would include a slew of prospect-type fight cards for CBS Sports Network, as a means to fill in the content for that channel if anything). Not sure if Schaefer would be up for it, but maybe use his platform with FS1 (I doubt that Fox gives any FOX dates out for the next deal) as a feeder system to Haymon's effort with Showtime/CBS/Viacom, no different then how the system basically used to be when ESPN's Friday Night Fights was truly influential (fighters would have the opportunity to build their profiles on cable TV, before HBO became interested and brought the fighter to pay TV). Schaefer works his relationships with the various gyms around the country/world, features talented guys who've yet to get that call from Haymon, and see if he can't get these guys on. Won't start off with the gliterriest of records on the fighters, but if he keeps the matchups basically 50/50, and the guys he brings in scrap, Schaefer's got the chance to build destination TV on FS1 (who will likely still feature UFC content for most of what they're channel covers)

espn and bounce are dropping boxing. spike actually pays a license fee. hopefully they renew. nbc is getting out too I doubt that ESPN or BounceTV drop boxing (BounceTV especially, as the fight cards have shown themselves to be ratings hits for a network that has very little of it's own original content to push). I can easily see a point where ESPN, in the next deal, locks in a summer series of fights for their channel, while sports fans wait for football to come back and the folks who stuck around for basketball come down off of their buzz. May though August for the main crux of the shows, 10 shows per year (8 shows during the "season", with two shows added at points throughout the rest of the year.

Spike Sports has a twitter: https://twitter.com/SpikeSports

They've had three cards on Bounce this year and another one scheduled for next month. They had three total cards on Bounce last year. I think he's referring to things like this: Dan Rafael ‏@danrafaelespn · Mar 9 The April 8 PBC on Bounce date that was announced on the last telecast is canceled. No bouts were ever announced, only the date. #boxing Jake Donovan ‏@JakeNDaBox_v2 · Jun 21 The July 24 edition of #PBConBounce has been scrapped. Next BounceTV card will take place Aug 28th, location and fighters TBD.

Maybe Fox/FS1 becomes the new Schaefer vehicle, filled with Haymon prospects and on-the-verge types. Yeah, I defintely think that's a possibility. Schaefer worked on the GBP/FS1 deal, so it could make some sense FOX/FS1 don't pick up the PBC. As for what a Schaefer/FOX/FS1 deal would look like...it sounds like Schaefer is aiming higher than the kind of deal GBP had with FS1.

I can see ESPN and NBC dropping boxing. Those two never seemed interested in the concept. NBC was a little more committed than ESPN though. I don't see bounce dropping PBC. You do know Al Haymon is a part owner in Bounce TV, right? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bounce_TV#Bounce_Media yess i did and despite that fact they have already cut back their schedule tremendously

Viacom, through SpikeTV, is seemingly putting a lot of weight behind combat sports (MMA/Boxing/Kickboxing) and I don't see that going away anytime soon. With Viacom and CBS/Showtime being in the same family, PBC being added to the fold (with ESPN/BounceTV keeping their own legacy programs) keeps making more and more sense. The main hang-up to me though is what is going to happen to Toe-to-Toe Tuesdays on FS1 (I doubt that NBC will end up being willing to commit any sizable amount of money to pay out for boxing; the competing Bellator/UFC situation also likely alters the business calculus). FS1 is interested in carrying fights (they've already been carrying fights before the PBC deal), they need the content, and none of their other non-UFC content has been able to get any traction beyond the PBC fights. 15-20 prospect-featured shows are likely going to be in play for somebody. Maybe Fox/FS1 becomes the new Schaefer vehicle, filled with Haymon prospects and on-the-verge types.

Viacom, through SpikeTV, is seemingly putting a lot of weight behind combat sports (MMA/Boxing/Kickboxing) and I don't see that going away anytime soon. With Viacom and CBS/Showtime being in the same family, PBC being added to the fold (with ESPN/BounceTV keeping their own legacy programs) keeps making more and more sense. The main hang-up to me though is what is going to happen to Toe-to-Toe Tuesdays on FS1 (I doubt that NBC will end up being willing to commit any sizable amount of money to pay out for boxing; the competing Bellator/UFC situation also likely alters the business calculus). FS1 is interested in carrying fights (they've already been carrying fights before the PBC deal), they need the content, and none of their other non-UFC content has been able to get any traction beyond the PBC fights. 15-20 prospect-featured shows are likely going to be in play for somebody. espn and bounce are dropping boxing. spike actually pays a license fee. hopefully they renew. nbc is getting out too

I hope good things come of it. Spike can be surprisingly effective at pulling in ratings sometimes.