Real reason boxing TV ratings nose dived

[croz]

I've heard it said before that back in the first quarter of 2000 boxing would average around 4 million viewers for a fight on HBO, where as now it tends to average closer to 1 million. I've heard this mentioned as proof of boxing's great decline in the country. However, doing a bit of research I think I have found the real reason for this drop in numbers and it has nothing to do with boxing but how NIELSEN changed the way they collect ratings back in 2004.

I noticed what might be the issue first in this article about the HBO Beyonce doc which aired prior to Broner's last fight in a timeslot similar to one boxing would be held in.

http://thatg****juice.net/2013/02/be...-is-but-dream/

"With a record breaking 1.8 million viewers to its name, ‘Dream’ marked the network’s highest viewed outing since ****e Lee‘s 2006 effort, ‘When The Leeves Broke’.

Used as the latest promotional push for her fifth studio album, the moving documentary’s success will come as phenomenal news for the network, who haven’t enjoyed ratings this high since Nielsen altered its method for measuring for views in 2004."

Note here it says NIELSEN began altering the way it gathers ratings back in 2004. This is roughly the year HBO ratings began to fall, as the article implies. So I checked out exactly what they did this year and it turns out this was the year they began installing people meters so people could record more accurate TV ratings. Since the article mentions HBO hasn't seen ratings like the Beyonce doc in that timeslot since NIELSEN changed the system, it strongly implies the change over is responsible for the drop in ratings at least in those timeslots.

[ThePunchingBag]

Nevermind.

[WARQUEZ]

It's because the sport has declined. It's not because of changes NIELSEN made.

Ironically 2004 was the beginning stages of life without the heavyweights and there went the lack of coverage on ESPN.

[Gr1fter]

I thought the PPV record was 2.4 million for Floyd V ODH?

[croz]

It's because the sport has declined. It's not because of changes NIELSEN made.

Ironically 2004 was the beginning stages of life without the heavyweights and there went the lack of coverage on ESPN.

Then explain why the 1.8m for Beyonce is the highest for HBO in that slot since NIELSEN changed its system. If it was just boxing's problem then shouldn't everything else be doing fine and boxing should be the only thing going down?

Used as the latest promotional push for her fifth studio album, the moving documentary’s success will come as phenomenal news for the network, who haven’t enjoyed ratings this high since Nielsen altered its method for measuring for views in 2004."


The article which is neutral specifically says HBO ratings have been down since the change in how the TV rating system works.

[KickAzz]

there's lots of reasons...

MMA is a sport that competes for people who like bloodsports

Corruption

PEDs

Lack of a real champion

no way to enforce arbitrary rankings

etc....

[El Jesus]

It's because the sport has declined. It's not because of changes NIELSEN made.

Ironically 2004 was the beginning stages of life without the heavyweights and there went the lack of coverage on ESPN.

this is true. its also about the time de la hoya became a part time fighter and there was no clear flag ship fighter.