Comments Thread For: Netflix Reportedly Exploring Live Boxing Shows Featuring PBC, Jake Paul

[boxing IQ]

The audience for American football is massive, the returns are guaranteed and boxing...not so much. Both the PBC and DAZN burned through hundreds of millions without showing a direct profit.

To it's credit, DAZN was the first to try modernizing by bringing boxing to a streaming (only) service. They failed by overpaying fighters and not producing enough marquee events, ones that extend beyond the hardcores. Now, it's a **** show. I don't know how Netflix and Amazon do with sports, but they do a hell of a lot better with streaming than DAZN. Whichever one picks up PBC, would have to not fall for those same pit traps.

[Eff Pandas]

On the streaming service platform, the returns are a little different than collecting how much people pay to watch the fights. The value in Netflix comes in it's ability to draw in its viewers and keep them engaged. It's why now they prioritize first week viewership over quality programming (i.e. Too Hot to Handle over Ozark) and keep top 10 lists so everyone can follow what's exciting and trending for the moment. The only way this could work for boxing is if the fights are exciting enough to draw in the viewers on the night. No one catches a football game two weeks later and the same goes for boxing. That's the only way I can see this relationship working out for the long term, meaning Haymon is going to have to lean on his fighters to sign contracts to increase their activity and thus content output. How that translates into fighter purses and pay-per-view events, that's a little murky..

Obviously but I'm sure Netflix has a formula for calculating if x + y = z for them. Just like with fight deals I don't think we have the behind the scenes information to be able to judge that, but I'm positive Netflix does & will make the best decision for them with that formula for making a deal if they do make a deal or ending that deal if it doesn't pan out ultimately.

[Eff Pandas]

To it's credit, DAZN was the first to try modernizing by bringing boxing to a streaming (only) service. They failed by overpaying fighters and not producing enough marquee events, ones that extend beyond the hardcores. Now, it's a **** show. I don't know how Netflix and Amazon do with sports, but they do a hell of a lot better with streaming than DAZN. Whichever one picks up PBC, would have to not fall for those same pit traps.

Eh, I'm no fan of DAZN overall lately, but its a lil early to bury them I'd argue. They still seem to be evolving & they clearly haven't ran out of money yet so they could make the changes needed to boost their success.

[boxing IQ]

Eh, I'm no fan of DAZN overall lately, but its a lil early to bury them I'd argue. They still seem to be evolving & they clearly haven't ran out of money yet so they could make the changes needed to boost their success.

As a fan of the sport, I pull for them too. As a streaming service they're hanging in there, but as a boxing provider, they're too deep in the red. With Joshua's decline and Canelo gone, where's the silver lining? One of the best things they did was incorporate sports popular in other countries. Foreigners can now enjoy what's not mainstreamed in the U.S.

[Eff Pandas]

I just dont see it. IMO boxing content wont work for amazon or netflix.

Amazon does boxing in Japan already. They have been doing ONE FC shows in the US that has MMA, Muay Thai & Grappling fights for over a year now. Whats the difference between that & doing boxing shows in the US?

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[M312]

As a fan of the sport, I pull for them too. As a streaming service they're hanging in there, but as a boxing provider, they're too deep in the red. With Joshua's decline and Canelo gone, where's the silver lining? One of the best things they did was incorporate sports popular in other countries. Foreigners can now enjoy what's not mainstreamed in the U.S.

They are holding out for Premier league rights in the UK, they are up for auction soon, and DAZN will go big to take it from Amazon and TNT. That'll be a game changer in the UK.

I imagine they have their eyes on something big in the US.

But they are consistently putting out shows every week. They must have a plan... NOW if they fail to get PL... well the writing could be on the wall.

[bballchump11]

I just dont see it. IMO boxing content wont work for amazon or netflix. Both platforms want content that can be streamed, and re-streamed for years. But 99% of boxing fights are watched once, and completely forgotten forever. Very seldom do you get the Gatti-Ward, Barrera-Morales, Hagler-Hearns type fights that live forever.

And I certainly dont blame Haymon for rattling his tin cup looking for a deal somewhere. I just dont see how it fits with the type of content that those platforms typically look for.

I guess we will see how good of a salesman Al is.......

Live sports bring advertisers, which Netflix has been working hard to get the past year.

[bballchump11]

On the streaming service platform, the returns are a little different than collecting how much people pay to watch the fights. The value in Netflix comes in it's ability to draw in its viewers and keep them engaged. It's why now they prioritize first week viewership over quality programming (i.e. Too Hot to Handle over Ozark) and keep top 10 lists so everyone can follow what's exciting and trending for the moment. The only way this could work for boxing is if the fights are exciting enough to draw in the viewers on the night. No one catches a football game two weeks later and the same goes for boxing. That's the only way I can see this relationship working out for the long term, meaning Haymon is going to have to lean on his fighters to sign contracts to increase their activity and thus content output. How that translates into fighter purses and pay-per-view events, that's a little murky..

That's not necessarily true. Combat sports have the most replay value of all sports. How many times have you watched Gatti vs Ward? How about Hagler vs Hearns? There are plenty of fights that I've watched multiple times. I have never watched the same football game twice. I think the only basketball game I've seen more than once was Iverson's game 1 win vs the Lakers in the NBA Finals.

[jqSide]

If it's only interested, or only able to show one fight event every one month or two, it won't work for a large stable like PBC. And it certainly won't work trying to attract boxing fans to become subscribers. They have to present weekly boxing shows.

[MulaKO]

You mention all the other networks promoting boxing but there are no other networks. In the past, the networks that carried free PBC fights did not pay the PBC, Al Haymon actually paid the networks for time slots with the expectation that boxing would eventually become profitable....but it never did. When the Waddell & Reed money dried up, so did the network airtime.

I’ll tell you what the difference will be; you buy Prime and you get boxing
It won’t be competing with another combat sport
These guys might not have as much as the Arabs but not way far behind
The other thing is it won’t have the same pressure that Dazn had to compete right off the bat for turf
And brother , you going way back mentioning that big Al used to pay the networks
That was the same for bands to play in a concert hall or to get music on the radio
That started dyeing out I needed the late 80s