I don't know about you fanboys but I'm pulling for low PPV numbers from everyone

[Eff Pandas]

I've been rooting against PPV for years now. In a previous life I purchased EVERY PPV boxing threw out there (& most "fighting" PPV's in general, MMA-purchased the first UFC or made mom or dad buy it anyway, Toughman-I was early on Butterbean when he was still Eric Esch, even a couple kickboxing & muay thai shows. I've never been into other sports really outside of wagering on them via statistics & trends so I saw supporting "fighting" as important), but like with my previous hard line stance on PED's, of 3 or 4 years ago, I've completely reversed positions.

PPV is a niche sport frame of mind boxing power brokers have to maximize their own profits at the individual level while hurting the overall impact of the sport in the broader marketplace. Arum & King never cared about boxing being big, just their fighters & their PPV's being big. The NFL wants everything in the NFL to be as big as it can be (& you could say the same about the NBA, NHL, MLB, UFC or any sport with a centralized power structure of a league behind it). When you got a sport where everyone is just looking out for the good of their own bottom line vs a sport where everyone is looking out for the good of the sport cuz everyone's bottom line is more connected you've pretty much pigeonholed yourself into a niche sport by having very little consistency in the product being shown & promoted.

I've been rooting for someone to come along & make a NFL of boxing for the better part of a decade that could mainstream the sport. Thought DiBella was going to try something at one point. I had hoped Oscar would do it at one time when he was talking in that type of way. Now I'm on board with PBC & Haymon. And if he fails I'll probably jump on that AIBA pro boxing deal cuz I think that guy has big ideas he's not fully implemented or worked them out in his own head yet. We'll see how things develop doe.

All that said I think you can mainstream boxing enough to get it off PPV, but I don't see it happening anytime soon. Its too built in, structuralized into the profitability for promoters & boxers. But I am rooting for Canelo vs Cotto to do good numbers for the overall success of the sport right now with Manny almost out the door & Floyd gone more than for Canelo's, Cotto's, GBP's, RN's or HBO's bottom line.

[The Problem Child]

I like PPVs. To me they provide a different EVENT type of experience, its the best experience one could have as a fan. From the buildup, to the fight specials, to fight week and weigh in... there is a special excitement built with PPV events.

And then gathering with family/friends while the PPV countdown is on the background, then the excitement of the big event starting.. And the event is what everyone is talking about for the next 2 weeks and you witnessed it live. That importance/significance that it has makes it that much more thrilling to watch.

Its just an awesome experience and I want it to stay the way it is. I will always support the PPV format.

[New England]

it's not HBO and showtime.

it is the fighters and their handlers.


these "a side" guys command too much money to fight eachother on regular HBO or showitme. a great example is alexander and bradley's 2011 fight. it ******, and ended in a headbutt. both guys were riding a head of steam, and commanded a lot of money to make the fight happen with a relatively even split. the fight ****** up about a quarter of the yearly budget for HBO, and ended in teh worst possible fashion. it didn't build either guy, and left a bad taste in people's mouths. it was a collosal failure, and led to a down year on HBO and i think it even started to get people fired, but i'd have to go through the time line.

[Left Hook Tua]

can i tell you guys something?

there are SO FEW ppv fights to be the cause of boxings problems.

if anything the $$$ from ppv gets big fights made.


boxing format is not great for commercial tv.

there's no timeouts for commercial. there's few loyal fans to constantly tunein. there's no set time to sell to advertisers.

[HanzGruber]

I forgot which boxer said it. It might have been Kevin Kelley. But he said there will be no ppv stars only ppv fights. And I agree. Gg is supposed to be the next cash cow and did crap numbers. These guys aren't Floyd and manny

[Left Hook Tua]

it's not HBO and showtime.

it is the fighters and their handlers.


these "a side" guys command too much money to fight eachother on regular HBO or showitme. a great example is alexander and bradley's 2011 fight. it ******, and ended in a headbutt. both guys were riding a head of steam, and commanded a lot of money to make the fight happen with a relatively even split. the fight ****** up about a quarter of the yearly budget for HBO, and ended in teh worst possible fashion. it didn't build either guy, and left a bad taste in people's mouths. it was a collosal failure, and led to a down year on HBO and i think it even started to get people fired, but i'd have to go through the time line.

hbo/sho needs to stop the EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS CRAP.

don't buy fighters. buy fights.

that'll get fighters to fight tougher comp.

[Left Hook Tua]

I forgot which boxer said it. It might have been Kevin Kelley. But he said there will be no ppv stars only ppv fights. And I agree. Gg is supposed to be the next cash cow and did crap numbers. These guys aren't Floyd and manny

i don't know why ggg-lemieux was ppv.

pac 1st ppv was erik morales.

floyd was vs. very popular arturo gatti.

[////]

The problem is, if some of these fights aren't ppv, where is the money gonna come from?

Nobody has unlimited budget. The money for fights doesn't grow on trees.

I don't like shelling out money either but it's not like other sports where you have massive viewership and sponsorship.

there are top fighters making 8 figure paychecks without US ppv

we dont really need another situation where a reality tv star makes 300 million for one snoozefest

that doesn't "save the sport", it turns the general public away

[The Big Dunn]

can i tell you guys something?

there are SO FEW ppv fights to be the cause of boxings problems.

if anything the $$$ from ppv gets big fights made.


boxing format is not great for commercial tv.

there's no timeouts for commercial. there's few loyal fans to constantly tunein. there's no set time to sell to advertisers.

Fair points, but its the same thing they said about soccer and the advertisers found a way to work things.

I think you can work it so there is an advertisers banner on the screen in between rounds so we can see/hear the corner and advertisers get on.

I also agree with your other post that exclusive network deals hurt the sport now.

[Luiz]

i don't know why ggg-lemieux was ppv.

pac 1st ppv was erik morales.

floyd was vs. very popular arturo gatti.

HBO's bugdet short for the rest of the year. HBO needs to stop paying for GGG-Monroe/Koval-Mohamed/Crawford-Jean etc...