Comments Thread For: Showtime's Espinoza Says Piracy Is Depressing PPV Buys By At Least 30-40%

[rickJen]

That's why I would never, ever believe the reported PPV results or figures. They are all fake and exaggerated. I might believe them 2 decades ago when there was no internet.

Nah, not in this day and age. Even the 60K - 90K range are fake and exaggerated. Not to mention this sport has become as niche as ever. I have 4 brothers and we used to watch the sport together. Now they have zero interest in it.

Me too. 10K (10,000) buys , for example, is already hard to accept, let alone 50K, 70K, 1M, aaargh...
Don't know why normal people are falling for these padded numbers.

I mean 30-40%, according to Showtime Espinoza, is huge. Very huge.
So stop giving me crap such as so and so PPV fight made so and so numbers.
They're fake and exaggerated.

[paulf]

This sport is young compared to boxing. Fighters are willing to take risks, and even that starts to change. Look at how Jones waited for Ngannou to skip before unretiring.

No the difference is the MMA has a major league: the UFC. Other leagues may offer more money, but the prestige and knowing a loss doesn't mean **** makes guys confident to take the opportunity to go into the UFC.

Boxing has no major league post HBO. Now it's all promoters with exclusive content agreements trying to essentially rip off the networks they air on by putting on bad fights and pocketing as much of the money as they can for themselves.

Meanwhile the UFC rakes in cash and PPV buys but struggles to turn a profit because they invest in their spot and the quality.

Lou Dibella said it best about ten years ago "People in boxing on take, take, take out of boxing. They never put anything back in. And one day they're gonna turn around and we're not gonna have a sport left anymore"

[MusoMeanderings]

Get it right, Dana didn't pay Jones until Ngannou was a free agent. Jones is the GOAT and hasn't swerved anyone. He knew his worth and called Dana's bluff until he got paid better. If Ngannou gets paid to come back. He'll get first Crack.

I don't doubt Jones's courage. He fought everyone and almost always dominated. However, he was moving up to heavyweight and was going to face a murderous puncher in Ngannou. Jon's main thing against Ngannou was wrestling. Look at what he did to Cormier, an Olympic wrestler.

Nobody wants to get punched in the face by Ngannou.

Everyone saw the acrimony between White and Francis. Everyone saw what Dana did for Jones, moving entire events to let him fight.

So, I'd rather believe that White and Jones worked together to move Ngannou out of the way and get a soft touch in a no-wrestler Gane.

I do hope that Jones-Nagnnou cross-promotion happens down the line and both men seem to be willing to fight each other. But it's much more difficult now.

[MusoMeanderings]

No the difference is the MMA has a major league: the UFC. Other leagues may offer more money, but the prestige and knowing a loss doesn't mean **** makes guys confident to take the opportunity to go into the UFC.

Great point. Dana might be an ******, but he's sure doing something right, and if you're loyal to him, you're set for life.

[HandsofIron]

Oh please, there have been so many fights in the past that didn't get made when the internet hadn't even been invented yet.

Lower the price to 15-20 dollars, stack the undercard and there wont be any problems and Espinoza can go eat a bag of ish.

[BustedKnuckles]

Not true! People don't steal because it's expensive they steal because their mindset is why pay anything when you can get it for free. People steal 50 cent bubble gum out of 7-11 because they get a thrill out of doing it. You can set PPV prices t0 3 dollars a fight and these idiots will still steal the shyte!!

So you mean that nobody steals because theyre broke? That's literally what you're claiming?

I think some people steal because its easy. Others do it because they like it. Others do it because its their mindset. Others are just plain broke. And still others dont feel like paying big money for crap fights.

These companies need to make fights that people want to see, including undercards, and stop trying to squeeze ever penny out of enthusiasts. It's just about pleasing your customers.

There's two ways to run a business. 1. Sheist your customers with poor products and service and high prices. 2. Please your customers, which builds your brand (esp against poor performing brands) and breeds loyalty.

[FeFist]

Greed will be their undoing.

Look at a show like Game of Thrones. I think at some stage it was the most pirated show on the internet. It is foolish to believe that everyone pirating the show will be a consumer if the option wasn't available. I was a University student when the show started, so obviously didn't have the money to watch it, but recommended the show to my parents who bought the books and seasons.

What boxing needs is to become a part of day to day conversation. If the sport is kept behind a pay wall, people will just lose interest. With that lack of interest, those who would actually pay for PPV will not care enough to do so.

[ShoulderRoll]

Even when ppv undercards are good people still don't buy the ppvs.

What PPV undercards have been good? There have only been 2 or 3 in the past 10 years I bet.

The fanbase has been conditioned to NOT expect a good card anymore and to not show up until the main event. It’s probably going to take years of consistently solid undercards to undo that conditioning.

[SimpleTouchee]

What PPV undercards have been good? There have only been 2 or 3 in the past 10 years I bet.

The fanbase has been conditioned to NOT expect a good card anymore and to not show up until the main event. It’s probably going to take years of consistently solid undercards to undo that conditioning.

Spence vs Porter, Charlo vs Rosario, Mayweather vs Berto, Mayweather vs Canelo undercards

[Liondw]

He has some point, business wise, but most PPV fights have been overpriced. The undercards have been pretty awful, almost always.

A number of mediocre matchups that were on PPV never should've been. There is the rare super fight that does indeed live up to the hype.