How did the BBC ship sink?

[soul_survivor]

I just came across this article from around 2003: http://www.secondsout.com/archive/an...ish-television

It talks about huge investments from the beeb in boxing, bringing it back to terrestrial TV and building a stable of fighters. Now, at the time I was in my early teens and as big a boxing fan as I was, I didn't know anything about the workings of the sport. So what happened?

I know Harrison had a huge part to play but it couldn't have been just that, it seems very obvious from this report that the BBC was building new stars with Haye, Froch and co being signed on. So where and how did it all go so wrong?

P.S. Funny that people had the same complaints about Sky that we have now lol

[Willy Wanker]

This thread title is just begging for a punchline.

[jas]

sky ppv generates more money for fighters nowadays

[Tom Cruise]

I always heard it was the huge Audley investment flop.

But im sure there were other things at play. The rise of Sky sports cant have helped

[soul_survivor]

But Sky Sports was pretty damn big in the late 90s already and the BBC started to invest in Audley/Haye/Froch and so on AFTER that period. But I see where you guys are coming from, a combination of Audley being ****, Sky Sports buying up the bigger, better fights (the HBO deal would also follow) probably pushed BBC out of the boxing game.

In recent years, we have seen ITV and Channel 4 build on live events, ITV had a massive earner with Khan and Calzaghe but both went the way of Sky and Channel 5 had Fury, Chisora and DeGale for a while, which drew in excess of a million viewers.

What, if any channel, will be the next to bring boxing to terrestrial tv? Or is that hope now dead?

[STAX ON DECK]

you do understand that BBC has a whole nother meaning herei nthe USA right??

i have proof in my pants

[soul_survivor]

you do understand that BBC has a whole nother meaning herei nthe USA right??

i have proof in my pants

Your pants aren't proof, they are the exception to the rule

Also, I think anyone with an ounce of intelligence will know what the BBC is in the real world.

[Tom Cruise]

But Sky Sports was pretty damn big in the late 90s already and the BBC started to invest in Audley/Haye/Froch and so on AFTER that period. But I see where you guys are coming from, a combination of Audley being ****, Sky Sports buying up the bigger, better fights (the HBO deal would also follow) probably pushed BBC out of the boxing game.

In recent years, we have seen ITV and Channel 4 build on live events, ITV had a massive earner with Khan and Calzaghe but both went the way of Sky and Channel 5 had Fury, Chisora and DeGale for a while, which drew in excess of a million viewers.

What, if any channel, will be the next to bring boxing to terrestrial tv? Or is that hope now dead?

Yeah sky was big but i dont think it had anywhere near the number of viewers as it does now? (guessing)

ITV hace recently started dabbling with Carl Frampton fights, hopefully that will continue now that Haymon is advising him. C5 still puts on the odd card, i think Hughie Fury is still on there

[BodiesInFlight]

I think they paid Audley £2m upfront for a multi fight contract.

They thought he was going to be a cash cow and put all their eggs in that basket.

Back then I remember they put on a few Jones Jr fights on the next morning after they happened as well.

[soul_survivor]

I think they paid Audley £2m upfront for a multi fight contract.

They thought he was going to be a cash cow and put all their eggs in that basket.

Back then I remember they put on a few Jones Jr fights on the next morning after they happened as well.

Audley man...that guy lol

I remember the BBC also repeating Tyson v Lewis, probably a week after it's PPV showing. And as a kid, I remember watching some Jones fights, so they may have been on BBC. But I'm pretty sure Sky had him and DLH.

It's just sad reading viewing figures like 9 million for Naz v a nobody, wouldn't it be great getting that ind of stuff back on terrestrial tv now?

Yeah sky was big but i dont think it had anywhere near the number of viewers as it does now? (guessing)

ITV hace recently started dabbling with Carl Frampton fights, hopefully that will continue now that Haymon is advising him. C5 still puts on the odd card, i think Hughie Fury is still on there

Sky definitely have more viewers now and for a while (after Haye/Audley killed their boxoffice dreams) Sky had some tremendous events on their main sports channels. Now we get rubbish domestic fights and anything even slightly competitive is put on PPV.

I really hope ITV decides they want back in boxing and buy up Fury, Frampton and Khan fights, each guy draws BIG.