How viable is the PBC model?

[Scipio2009]

I said this a while ago. Networks want to know one thing. Can we sell advertising? They aren't as ratings obsessed as fans are. For starters they know sporting events ads sell better than TV shows because sporting events are watched live. If any network decides to buy the PBC series they're going to put money behind it to push it. The only thing PBC has to do is prove to the networks that advertisers are willing to buy ad time. They've done that so far. I think it's a foregone conclusion that PBC will get a deal with Spike/NBC-NBCSN/FS1-FOX/ and some type of arrangement with Showtime-CBS. I don't think ESPN will buy it.

I'm less confident in NBC buying in than you are, tbh (they'll relish the idea of taking a kid from fighting in the Olympics on NBC, showcasing their professional development on NBC/NBCSN, and launching into stardom in primetime on NBC, but I'm not sure if they'd be willing to lay out the money to go on that ride with a kid, take the four years, and possibly see them get washed before making it)

[Scipio2009]

they have zero of the top 10 p4p fighters right now. they don't even have any big money draws if you are going that route. what is your argument? what fighters matter? the ones with slick styles? the ones you like?

1) who, in your opinion, are the current top10 p4p fighters?

and 2) what fighters on your own list do you honestly believe have more big money draw potential than Deontay Wilder, Anthony Joshua, Danny Garcia, or Errol Spence Jr?

Because the simple fact stands that the winner of the Wilder/Joshua/Fury/Klitschko consolidation ****s on anyone you could name in your top10 p4p, without question.

[Scipio2009]

lol andre ward is locked in with rns

Andre Ward's last fight owed to HBO is the Kovalev fight in November, HBO is obviously tight with the money, Andre Ward's profile was largely built on Showtime, and Showtime has made it rather obvious that they are open to locking in options deal with promoters willing to do business (as was done with Banner Promotions, who, in bring over Ruslan Provodnikov, opened up the conversation for the rest of the fighters under their banner).

Espinoza will likely make sure that there's no issue between Haymon and Roc Nation (Jay Z/James Prince will sit down with Haymon/Espinoza and talk through whatever issues like grown men and businessmen), but I don't see how HBO matches a Floyd-type deal for Andre Ward (the money's going to be vastly different but a 10-fight, $15m downside guarantee with the lead share on the upside of any PPV fights isn't unreasonable); you add that Showtime could throw in some locked in TV dates for Roc Nation, and the deal could be too good to pass up for the entire company.

[Cinci Champ]

This. We know from a business it's a disaster and lost hundreds of millions and that the ratings are terrible. But what many are now noticing is that almost all haymon top fighters are now basically once a year inactive fighters and have no doubt seen their careers go backwards because of PBC.
So there has definitely been collateral damage to his fighters who are fighting less and are getting half the ratings they used now that they are going back to showtime. So what was the point of point of this mess?

for example who?

[bigdunny1]

for example who?

Stevenson, jacobs, thurman, porter, khan are just a few examples of guys who are only fighting basically once a year. Danny Garcia fought in what Jan and it's about to be July and he still has no fight lined up. What's the point of PBC if your biggest names are fighting less frequently then they did before PBC? All have seen long layoffs.

Wilder, Broner, Leo Santa Cruz are just a few examples of fighters who went to pbc and came back to showtime with ratings half what they were before they went to pbc.

[.!WAR MIKEY!.]

all pbc fighters are on welfare #FACTS

[bigdunny1]

Haymon can't afford to pay his top fighters to fight on PBC anymore. it's also why they have canceled about half the show dates they had scheduled in 2016 and most of the shows are now filled with haymons b and c level fighters and cheap prospects. While his top fighters are all going back to showtime. Money issues is likely why you seeing such long layoffs and gaps between fights for a lot of his top fighters.

[Cinci Champ]

Haymon can't afford to pay his top fighters to fight on PBC anymore. it's also why they have canceled about half the show dates they had scheduled in 2016 and most of the shows are now filled with haymons b and c level fighters and cheap prospects. While his top fighters are all going back to showtime. Money issues is likely why you seeing such long layoffs and gaps between fights for a lot of his top fighters.

what shows did they cancel? sorry but the guys being paid by gbp and hbo on twitter got those predictions wrong and of course some shows will have b and c level fighters thats a given

[Motorcity Cobra]

]Haymon can't afford to pay his top fighters to fight on PBC anymore. it's also why they have canceled about half the show dates they had scheduled in 2016 and most of the shows are now filled with haymons b and c level fighters and cheap prospects. While his top fighters are all going back to showtime[/B]. Money issues is likely why you seeing such long layoffs and gaps between fights for a lot of his top fighters.

His top fighters are

Garcia (Fought on Fox)

Broner (fought on Spike)

LSC (fought on Showtime another fight scheduled on Showtime)

Thurman (fighting on CBS)

Porter (fighting on CBS)

Fonfara (fought on NBC)

Beterbiev (Fought on ESPN)

Spence (fought on NBC and another fight coming on NBC)

Wilder (fighting on FOX)

Stevenson (fight network yet to be announced)

Jacobs (fight postponed)

Am I missing one? Espinoza said from day one that the plan is for fighters to fight on network TV and showtime. So what's the problem?

[PK3434]

It's not viable and was never meant to be viable.

The assumption is the best outcome is a lucrative tv deal or 2 after the time buys are finished, but there is no chance of those type of deals being enough to pay 100-200 fighters very well.

Al is not dumb. He knew this couldn't work from the beginning...but he is not taking any losses from this personally. In fact, he is set up better than ever as he still has so many fighters under contract that he gets paid no matter what network they fight on.