Comments Thread For: SHO 6/21 Triple: Respectable Ratings For Incredible Action

[deanrw]

Yeah to me, boxing ratings have been on a slow decline on both networks.
1.5 million used to be respectable or good, then a million benchmark was set, and now it is even lower.

In a couple years we will hearing. "Yeah it look like Mike from Phili watched, and it appears John from L.A. rolled through the channel while clicking".

[RSBonos]

Yeah to me, boxing ratings have been on a slow decline on both networks.
1.5 million used to be respectable or good, then a million benchmark was set, and now it is even lower.

Not for Showtime. In fact this rating is more like what they used to get before the GBP bump they had last year.

[.:: JSFD26 ::.]

Thank you, that was precisely my point and why I compared it to a similar doubleheader this time last year. I swear, I wish people would read past the headline before commenting.

It's easy to bash the show for the money spent on it. But Lomachenko-Russell came with the price tag it did because GBP factored in the revenue generated from overseas TV rights (Lomachenko) before bidding that much, and why Top Rank's bid was just behind it.

Guerrero's A-side presence didn't warrant a $1 million payday for this fight, but that's a decision Showtime has to live with while staying in business with Haymon.

You got the numbers for Guerrero vs Aydin by any chance?

Soto Karass and Alexander are unknown? Do you know how many times SK has been on Showtime lately?

[JakeNDaBox]

How is 835k for Thurman considered "lukewarm", but 614k for Guerrero respectable? Isn't that the lowest showtime rating in long time?

I fully admit, lukewarm was the wrong way to describe that card in April, and I rightfully caught flak over it.

To compare, though:
- The April 26 card came on the heels of Hopkins/Shumenov one week prior, plus had Mayweather/Maidana promo as a lead-in (their PPV was the following week) and no competition from HBO. Theoretically, plenty of build-up to the event and reason for viewers to tune in.
- The June 21 show came with minimal promotion outside of Loma/Russell-Top Rank/GBP connection, and a month after SHO's last major card (Stevenson/Fonfara). Heavy promotion for Canelo/Lara hasn't even begun yet and isn't a MAJOR ppv anyway, thus lacking this show as a lead-in qualifier since event is still three weeks away.

But like I said, I chose a poor headline for Thurman-Diaz. I could've changed it, but instead live with the error to allow people to point it out.

This card doesn't deserve to be bashed. All three fights were worth watching. They overspent on the show, yes. That's something Espinoza has to answer to, if corporate is asking questions. But as far as what came of the show, the in-ring results exceed expectations. Based on expectations, the ratings were in sync.

[Mitchell Kane]

Wow, considering how much SHO paid for this entire card, that seems really bad.

That's gotta be one of the worst ratios of viewers per dollars in recent years, right?

Lomachenko will probably do double that his next fight on HBO.

Much was made of GBP winning the purse bid for Lomachenko-Russell Jr....but really, was it worth it?

[JakeNDaBox]

Yeah to me, boxing ratings have been on a slow decline on both networks.
1.5 million used to be respectable or good, then a million benchmark was set, and now it is even lower.

In a couple years we will hearing. "Yeah it look like Mike from Phili watched, and it appears John from L.A. rolled through the channel while clicking".

I fully agree with this, and am the first to tell ppl to calm the eff down when they start with the "I thought boxing was dying?" sarcasm.

Boxing will never return to what it once was. I full believe its forever stuck as a niche sport. Those who get ****y towards mainstream every time an event draws well fails to realize overall popularity continues to wane.

Showtime didn't necessarily bring in new fans to the sport last year, but rather "steal" the audience normally tuned in to HBO when they had most of the big names. That audience is now diminishing. Both networks are feeling it, on their flagship stations and in pay-per-view sales.

[Mitchell Kane]

On thing is effecting the live ratings is just rebroadcasts and On Demand.

HBO now keeps fights On Demand like up to year.

Maybe some boxing fans are just becoming more accustomed to watching boxing like they watch their tv shows...on their own schedule.

[ShoulderRoll]

Adonis Stevenson vs Fonfara drew 800,000 viewers at it's peak. On Memorial Day weekend.

Those numbers don't look so bad now.

[al-Xander]

I'm sure a Guerrero vs Thurman would not have improved the numbers but jacked up the cost of the fight. And that's the danger for networks of overpaying fighters for fighting nobodies. Such fights (Thurman/Guerrero) may be attractive to hardcore fans, but not that much to casuals.

[.:: JSFD26 ::.]

Adonis Stevenson vs Fonfara drew 800,000 viewers at it's peak. On Memorial Day weekend.

Those numbers don't look so bad now.

This is a good point. They keep trying to make this unknown argument but Stevenson never fought on Showtime before and Fonfara well, he's pretty fkin unknown too.