LA Times Article - GBP Looks to Be Heading For a Split

[al-Xander]

That's not necessarily untrue. Trading a short term loss for winning medium and long term mind and market share (subscribers in the case of Sho) is a tried and true strategy. Video game consoles use this strategy. They make up the loss on the games. Printer companies use this strategy. They make up the loss on the ink. Sho is going tooth and nail with HBO. CBS may be willing to eat losses for a while if it translates into subscribers and good will. You can also see this in Sho's TV productions.

PPVs don't attract subscribers. Making non-PPV fights as many as possible does. Mayweather is on PPV.

[kentou2013]

According to the latest numbers from NPD Group, premium services such as HBO, and Showtime,and others registered a 6% decline in U.S. subscribers while customers preferring subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) grew by 4% over the past two years.

[-=Shade=-]

PPVs don't attract subscribers. Making non-PPV fights as many as possible does. Mayweather is on PPV.

First, I don't want to argue that the Floyd PPVs aren't under performing. IMHO, they probably are, but:
-The PPV is drenched in Sho branding, with Sho commentators, and is intended to Showcase Sho as a premium boxing destination.
-The teaser shows for the PPVs are on Sho.
-Floyd's potential opponents box on Sho.
-Floyd came with a slate of boxers that were Sho's TV content. So even if the PPVs didn't have a great conversion rate to subscribers many of the boxers that came with Floyd did have a lot of HBO money invested on their names and may have brought some of their fans with them.

To say that the PPVs don't / won't draw subscribers is a little dubious. It's just a question of how many, at what cost, and over what period of time. In the end Sho's premium boxing push may not be worth it. That's perfectly possible, even likely, but to say eating a loss over the short term in a 1 on 1 subscriber war can't be strategically advantageous just isn't right. It seems pretty apparent that this is what Sho was trying. Has it worked? Seems 'iffy' to me, but they weren't wrong to try.

[Check_hooks]

Floyd ain't on Pac's level? What did Pac-Rios do for PPV #'s? vs. The worst Floyd PPV... Gurerro? Pac's best PPV did 1.3m buys. 2/3 of the highest grossing fights involved Floyd, both breaking 2m buys.

Floyd's been in numerous PPV's that did less than 1 million, Hatton, Guerrerro, Maidana, etc

And Pacquiao is a bigger draw because hes selling the PPV by himself. Floyd knows that he can't draw so he always stacks his cards so foolish people actually think hes a bigger draw.

When Pacquiao fights, the entire country of the Philippines stops what its doing and watches. When Floyd fights, NSB doesn't even slow down.

When Floyd fought Maidana I thought I had google fiber when I logged on to this site

[FeFist]

Bob Arum must be laughing his old ass off right now.

[al-Xander]

First, I don't want to argue that the Floyd PPVs aren't under performing. IMHO, they probably are, but:
-The PPV is drenched in Sho branding, with Sho commentators, and is intended to Showcase Sho as a premium boxing destination.
-The teaser shows for the PPVs are on Sho.
-Floyd's potential opponents box on Sho.
-Floyd came with a slate of boxers that were Sho's TV content. So even if the PPVs didn't have a great conversion rate to subscribers many of the boxers that came with Floyd did have a lot of HBO money invested on their names and may have brought some of their fans with them.

To say that the PPVs don't / won't draw subscribers is a little dubious. It's just a question of how many, at what cost, and over what period of time. In the end Sho's premium boxing push may not be worth it. That's perfectly possible, even likely, but to say eating a loss over the short term in a 1 on 1 subscriber war can't be strategically advantageous just isn't right. It seems pretty apparent that this is what Sho was trying. Has it worked? Seems 'iffy' to me, but they weren't wrong to try.

My dad signed up for a SHO subscription, when this whole GBP/Mayweather vs HBO rift thing started, which he eventually cancelled after a year and a half when it became clear that they're laser-focused on making PPVs. Non-PPV fights are rare. The idea of signing up for subscription was based on the expectation that the money generated from these PPVs will help fund numerous non-PPV fights. Didn't happen. HBO still beat them. (We watch boxing on HBO in my uncle's house.)

[Hook-Right]

My dad signed up for a SHO subscription, when this whole GBP/Mayweather vs HBO rift thing started, which he eventually cancelled after a year and a half when it became clear that they're laser-focused on making PPVs. Non-PPV fights are rare. The idea of signing up for subscription was based on the expectation that the money generated from these PPVs will help fund numerous non-PPV fights. Didn't happen. HBO still beat them. (We watch boxing on HBO in my uncle's house.)

Your bull**** anecdote means nothing. You've been repeating the same thing all thread. Signing Mayweather brought an entire Haymon stable. Plus, SHO subscribers get unlimited access to PPV fights a week later (same as HBO). Not everyone streams or DLs, so some people enjoy being able to watch it multiple times in good quality.

Also you keep saying SHO had no good non-PPV fights in 2013, are you crazy or just blind? For one, Canelo-Trout was a superb matchup, they sold 40K tix to it, so obviously it was in demand.

[Hook-Right]

Floyd's been in numerous PPV's that did less than 1 million, Hatton, Guerrerro, Maidana, etc

And Pacquiao is a bigger draw because hes selling the PPV by himself. Floyd knows that he can't draw so he always stacks his cards so foolish people actually think hes a bigger draw.

When Pacquiao fights, the entire country of the Philippines stops what its doing and watches. When Floyd fights, NSB doesn't even slow down.

When Floyd fought Maidana I thought I had google fiber when I logged on to this site

You're a Top Rank shill. Mayweather consistently outsells Pac, and smashes his gate numbers. You're probably one of the TR "fans" who argue that Arum is doing the right thing by having garbage undercards.

[al-Xander]

Your bull**** anecdote means nothing. You've been repeating the same thing all thread. Signing Mayweather brought an entire Haymon stable. Plus, SHO subscribers get unlimited access to PPV fights a week later (same as HBO). Not everyone streams or DLs, so some people enjoy being able to watch it multiple times in good quality.

Also you keep saying SHO had no good non-PPV fights in 2013, are you crazy or just blind? For one, Canelo-Trout was a superb matchup, they sold 40K tix to it, so obviously it was in demand.

Subscribers don't have access to PPVs, idiot. Non PPVs became very rare. There are 52 Saturdays in a year. Why don't you list the number of non-PPVs they have made since your hero joined Showtime? Sorry to hurt your feelings, doe. Truth butt hurts. They failed.

[Check_hooks]

You're a Top Rank shill. Mayweather consistently outsells Pac, and smashes his gate numbers. You're probably one of the TR "fans" who argue that Arum is doing the right thing by having garbage undercards.

I dare you to do annual PPV # for Pacquiao and Floyd after they became the A-side PPV fighters. That means after they both fought Oscar.

Last year was the first year that Floyd outsold Pac since 2008

2009 Pacquiao
2010 Pacquiao
2011 Pacquiao
2012 Pacquiao
2013 Floyd

And everyone knows what HBO's saying is "It's Not TV, It's HBO"

What's SHO? Not only do there shows suck but they are losing 10's of millions in there boxing budget and have nothing to show for it