... HBO Boxing

an interesting read indeed. http://www.businessinsider.com/att-thinks-directv-now-is-the-future-of-tv-2016-10 On the ignore list in the other thread, so putting this here. The one point that I will make is that it's yet unclear if sports has the effect on streaming as it does with live viewership (which is why live sports are still advertising king on traditional TV, though it's unclear if that is the case in streaming). In a similar fashion to Netflix, if the deal goes through, AT&T would now have a platform to go and pitch shows, like Game of Thrones, to folks no longer tied to cable TV packages. How many folks, no longer tied to traditional TV, even care for boxing at this point? PBC is facing all sorts of viability questions with the move to regular TV; imagine what that'd look like if he tried to reach folks who were off tv completely.

This might be a good thing for HBO - and by extension HBO boxing - as it may mean that HBO's subscription base will broaden.. If folks are tuning in for Game of Thrones, Westworld, Bill Maher, John Oliver, etc, why not invest the $20m-$30m in developing another 1-2 original programs rather than continue to half-ass boxing? It's been years since HBO showed any real commitment to trying to develop their boxing programming, and I don't think a broadening base changes that.

Interesting. If the budget doesn't go up thats bad for us as fans. As critical as I have been for HBO in the last year and a half, I don't want them out I want them to improve their programming and get back to the days when an HBO deal expanded who you could fight.