If boxing on primetime is such a good idea, why did it leave?

[Heavyfist]

Boxing doesn't suck like ufc. Even in a down years boxing owns ufc

I agree, but I don't think most people agree at all. Ever been to a bar at Saturday night? A buffalo wild wings?

People way prefer UFC anyday. Theres way more action, and you don't get chess match fights like in boxing. And most importantly, the best fight the best.

Boxing is the sport of crappy match ups.

[Da Machine]

I agree, but I don't think most people agree at all. Ever been to a bar at Saturday night? A buffalo wild wings?

People way prefer UFC anyday. Theres way more action, and you don't get chess match fights like in boxing. And most importantly, the best fight the best.

Boxing is the sport of crappy match ups.

So you came here because you are mad boxing is coming into the spotlight as UFC "the fad" is fading?

This all makes sense now. You are just a UFC fanboy coming to hate on boxing.

[JJRod]

What?
Dude every boxing fan should be happy that boxing is finally going to be back on network TV. Even more excited that the times will be prime time slots.

WTF is wrong with you?

[DeadLikeMe]

Can we get an IP check? Just out of morbid curiosity.

[The Ninth Layer]

Cuz network TV as a whole sucks cuz of censorship

All the most critically acclaimed shows are on HBO, Cable, Netflix, Amazon etc

Look at the winners for the golden globes

Boxing enthusiasts will always prefer boxing on HBO, SHO cuz no one is gonna complain when a fighter curses. And having commercials inbetween rounds is lame

It's not censorship that leads to worse programming on network television but advertising.

If you're an advertiser like say, Johnson & Johnson (a family company!) then something like The Wire or even Always Sunny is probably not the kind of show you want to be associated with. Instead you'd want your company associated with something inoffensive to the vast majority of your customers, even if the programming you're associated with isn't critically acclaimed or top-notch or whatever.

On the flip side of advertising, network television stations can't charge cable providers for channel licensing and depend pretty heavily on ad revenue, meaning they need to get the most people possible watching, meaning you get programming aimed at the lowest common denominator of viewers.

Networks like HBO don't rely at all on advertising but instead make money directly from cable providers and subscribers. They can take chances on their programming because they don't have advertisers to offend, only subscribers. They're much freer to cultivate their schedules toward niche audiences that, for example, will pay to watch well-made crime dramas, or will pay to watch world championship boxing.

This is why you will see HBO showcasing Zou Shiming fights on HBO2 even when he fights nobodies, by the way — they are using their money to cater to a certain audience (Chinese-Americans) to encourage them to stay subscribing.

[Bullrider]

It looks good on paper. But it always depends on how fights would go. Meaning, most boxing matches are boring to casuals, the running, the clinching, too much inactivity... Precisely the reason why they come and go.

[The Ninth Layer]

I agree, but I don't think most people agree at all. Ever been to a bar at Saturday night? A buffalo wild wings?

People way prefer UFC anyday. Theres way more action, and you don't get chess match fights like in boxing. And most importantly, the best fight the best.

Boxing is the sport of crappy match ups.

I don't know about that. I think UFC is popular among a younger crowd (18 to 24) but it doesn't have the support of older fans and its success is still pretty limited to the States. On a global scale MMA has nowhere near the support boxing has.

[AddiX]

The reason boxing left met work tv is because as other sports got more popular, boxing lost advertising revenue, especially to young white males, which is a big demographic for advertisers. Which is what makes UFC do well, ratings wise, they don't do any better than boxing, but different demographics.

Also fighters started demanding to much $, it wasnt possible for promoters to pay the guarantees they gave the fighters so eventually subscription networks saw an opportunity to have a live action sport, and they had more than enough $ to pay for it.

Once that happened promoters pretty much completely leaned on subscription networks because it's just a lot easier, it def ended up hurting the sport because no one promotes the sport, the fighters, or events anymore, at least not very well, now they just take there copyright fee, and stop trying after that.

Hence why boxing cant seem to do anything to become more popular. No one is trying...

[The Ninth Layer]

The reason boxing left met work tv is because as other sports got more popular, boxing lost advertising revenue, especially to young white males, which is a big demographic for advertisers. Which is what makes UFC do well, ratings wise, they don't do any better than boxing, but different demographics.

Also fighters started demanding to much $, it wasnt possible for promoters to pay the guarantees they gave the fighters so eventually subscription networks saw an opportunity to have a live action sport, and they had more than enough $ to pay for it.

Once that happened promoters pretty much completely leaned on subscription networks because it's just a lot easier, it def ended up hurting the sport because no one promotes the sport, the fighters, or events anymore, at least not very well, now they just take there copyright fee, and stop trying after that.

Hence why boxing cant seem to do anything to become more popular. No one is trying...

Good post. A lot of the reason things are the way they are is because of inertia. One fighter gets offered a big deal by premium networks, other fighters take notice and want the same deals, fighters who can't get premium deals aren't as appealing to network channels who aren't going to waste airtime on C-level guys, fans follow the popular fighters to premium channels, and the premium channels see they've captured an audience and have more money to spend on appeasing them. Then the most popular fighters figure out that PPV makes even more money than the premium channels... and the cycle continues.

[Pigeons]

Boxing has some of the most negative terrible fans i have ever seen...this dude is actually hoping it fails and complaining

If Arum brought boxing to NBC, the idiots would be on their knees drooling cum.