Comments Thread For: Paramount Global To Shut Down Showtime Sports; Network Will No Longer Broadcast Boxing

[dan-b]

Boxing was at it's most popular when it aired for free on live TV. PPV is what made it a niche sport. Nobody follows it except for hardcore fans. Even PBC was talking free TV when they started. Now every show is a PPV. Sorry, greedy promoters did this.

I don't think "hardcore fans" make up the majority of PPV buys. Casuals buy a fight they like the sound of and don't think too much about it, "hardcores" make a lot of angry noise and then stream it.

[crisantonio917]

That's what happens when you keep feeding the public the same garbage over and over, the same PBC fighters fighting each other, no caucasian fighters, hardly any Boricuas, just african americans and Cubans, CBS, FOX, SHO they all ran away from Al pushing that SOS down their throat.

[dan-b]

I would pick them up if they allow the network to pick the fights to get made and not the promoters

Thomas Hauser was calling for something like this years ago. Sidelining promoters is a great idea and increasingly possible if fighters begin to negotiate more flexible contracts in the style of Canelo.

[dan-b]

The gravy train is GONE.

Is it? What about the Saudi money?

[-DSG-]

been watching boxing since the 80s. HBO, Showtime, ESPN tuesday night fights, USA boxing, ABC wide world of sports, NBC, Spike, BounceTv. Now I guess Amazon prime. Its a new day so it is what it is. Good thing about it is PBC aint going nowhere. They've had three 100 million dollar fights this year so someone is going to pick them up. I know everyone is saying they're going to Prime but my dream scenario would be Espn. PBC and TR with no more sides of the street on the world leader in sports. Damn I hope that happens.

ESPN has no interest in PBC.

[DClefthook]

PBC deals with Bounce,Spike TV, CBS, NBC and Showtime all ended terrible, Showtime was still dealing with PBC since the Weasel Espinoza is Haymonâs lap dog. Same thing can be said with Top Rank whoâs so terrible and ruined strong ties with ESPN. Boxing as a whole couldâve been in a better state but the promoters got greedy thinking they can get away with presenting sub par cards and wanting ridiculous purses for their fighters who nobody even cared about at the end of day.

PBC stink
Top Rank stink
DAZB stink

lets be real as boxing fans their greed killed the sport.

They're not dead yet. Maybe on life support but not gone yet. I've been saying this for years that if boxing wants to survive it has to follow the UFC blueprint. Everything under one roof. Dazn had the right idea but sent the wrong salesperson. I pray that PBC goes to Espn. Espn probably didn't want to invest to much into boxing because TR didn't bring enough value. But if they can get PBC over there with TR and eventually entice Oscar to come over then boxing will be huge again. No more sides of the street. Can you imagine if all three promoters let their 118-140 divisions go at it? Damn son!!!

[DougalDylan]

Sky/Boxxer cut a deal with NBC for fights ... (not sure you'll thank me for that but NBC will have free boxing)

Growing up for me it was all about HBO and Showtime on premium cable and PPV events. Now we will only get ESPN, FOX & DAZN in North America as Sky Sports and TNT Sports Boxing does not air.

[DClefthook]

He tried to reduce prices! He sided with the subscription model... and it's not working. To the point where DAZN went to PPV. The theory behind subscription was more people pay less, more regularly... that was potentially great for us as fans. As things stand it comes down to a small number of fans to subsidise big fights through PPV if they can't generate mass appeal.

The issue is boxing itself. The multi org approach where fighters are kept apart in some instances and can avoid each other in other instances just isn't a good business model.

Boxing could be huge. But it isn't, and it's largely because it's terribly organised.

"Terribly organized" is the correct term. The Nfl, Nba, Mlb, Ufc, Nhl, Mls, Ncaa and even Euroleague futbol are all organized sports with one commisioner and a governing with a set of rules and bylaws that everyone must adhere to. Boxing is the only sportwhere there are literally thousands of folks all over the world that controls it. Every fight that is made has shady characters doing business and no one knows how much money will actually be made in the end, including the fighters. Its the only sport where you have to GET A DATE and find a venue. The other sports dont need to GET A DATE because they have a schedule and their own venues. If boxing wants to survive it has to dothe UFC thing, period!

[DougalDylan]

Seriously who was Wilder fighting before Hearn arrived? Stiverene and thats a stretch?? Could have fought Klitschko etc Finkel was his manager. Could have fought Martin champ with the same stable? Nothing ..

Then Eddie Hearn came and made it even worse by raising the prices. And now Deontay Wilder, Ruiz, etc. don't want to fight unless they get retirement check.

[DClefthook]

ESPN has no interest in PBC.

Espn has boxing on their platform but they're not interested in putting the biggest boxing promotional company on their network. 10-4