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By Jake Donovan - As far back as when the decision was made to outbid the rest of the industry, HBO has been looked upon as the biggest game in town.
It held true when they raised the financial bar to where the free networks could no longer compete. It was once again true after Mike Tyson’s second career fizzled, functionally putting an end to Showtime’s place in the pay-per-view market.
From the moment we entered the 21st Century, HBO further distance itself from the pack, to where the question was no longer whether it was the biggest entity in boxing, but if it was on the verge of becoming its only major player.
Meanwhile, Showtime found itself on the wrong end of “peaks and valleys” for good portions of this decade, and their “Great Fights, No Rights” movement didn’t exactly pan out the way everyone expected. Some hits here and there, but there still remain plenty of pugilists whom remain defined as “Showtime fighters.” [details]
It held true when they raised the financial bar to where the free networks could no longer compete. It was once again true after Mike Tyson’s second career fizzled, functionally putting an end to Showtime’s place in the pay-per-view market.
From the moment we entered the 21st Century, HBO further distance itself from the pack, to where the question was no longer whether it was the biggest entity in boxing, but if it was on the verge of becoming its only major player.
Meanwhile, Showtime found itself on the wrong end of “peaks and valleys” for good portions of this decade, and their “Great Fights, No Rights” movement didn’t exactly pan out the way everyone expected. Some hits here and there, but there still remain plenty of pugilists whom remain defined as “Showtime fighters.” [details]
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