Comments Thread For: Golden Boy Promotions, ESPN Announce Multi-Year TV Deal

[Butch.McRae]

This is a time buy structure, where the "sponsors" will pay for the cards. Not sure how much money will be allocated for these cards; i'm guessing very little. Hopefully we get some quality out of this platform b/c as of right now we're still pretty reliant on premium cable for a good fight night.

[MasterPlan]

Golden Boy has several excellent prospects. The problem for Golden Boy is that their best prospects are very young and have less than 10-12 fights. Their prospects/semi contenders who have 20 fights aren't as talented. The next star from Golden Boy is still very young and not ready to be a contender in the next year or 2....but it is shortsighted to say they don't have anyone halfway decent, because their roster is stacked with young, serious talent.

I mean as a somewhat contender. GB has tons of prospects but its only a few guys on that next level right now on their roster.

[MasterPlan]

He still owns some TV dates. The deal would of expired last year but he shortened the amount of TV shows on 2016 making what was announced as a monthly series on ESPN just a summer series. He punted his remaining dates to 2017. Same with some of the other networks PBC went dark 2 months early in 2016 and then basically suspended operations late last year sending all his time buys to 2017. He losing money every show he puts on PBC that's why fights going back to showtime or he keeps pushing time buys he already paid for back further and further. Rafael reported last year NBC is pulling the plug on PBC as well would of ended last year but PBC decided to not air another fight on NBC since Summertime. So same thing with ESPN they have few more fights if he uses the airtime in 2017 but they won't be renewed.

PBC on ESPN begins in April. Not sure of the date.

[Butch.McRae]

ok maybe the lawsuit allows PBC to not block it but if ESPN were happy with PBC they wouldn't be reaching out making deals with another promoter for content. PBC because of money issues is not providing ESPN the amount of shows and boxing content they needed to replace Friday Night Fights. Last year it went from fights being pushed back to Feb, then to March. Then it went from a monthly series to just 2-3 month summer series. PBC can't afford to produce the amount of shows ESPN wants.

This isn't about PBC. This is another money grab for ESPN. GoldenBoy will be buying their time, using "sponsor" money. ESPN could care less about which company pays for the time slots, as long as they don't have to pay for it themselves.

That's why FNF went away, it was deemed a bad investment. This just adds more revenue to the ESPN bottom line, with minimal cost.

[MasterPlan]

This isn't about PBC. This is another money grab for ESPN. GoldenBoy will be buying their time, using "sponsor" money. ESPN could care less about which company pays for the time slots, as long as they don't have to pay for it themselves.

That's why FNF went away, it was deemed a bad investment. This just adds more revenue to the ESPN bottom line, with minimal cost.

There is a kickboxing series on ESPN2. Do you know anything about that. A time buy from whatever promotion it is or ESPN trying to get as close to MMA series as possible?

[bigdunny1]

I doubt it, who's on GB roster who's halfway decent? Sadam Ali and Eddie Gomez maybe will find a home hear.

Like someone else said. Golden Boy lost a ton of fighters with the Haymon split but also got a stack of cash as part of the Schaefer lawsuit settlement in 2015. They took that money and signed a ton top bluechip prospects to re-stock the shelf. Golden Boy now has a ton of young studs. I can't find another promoter who is more loaded with with top talented fighters under the age of 24. Problem they have is they have Canelo and a ton of young kids who are a year or 2 away. It's that middle area of current champs they are light only Vargas, Linares. They need to graduate guys like Jojo Diaz, to the next level like they did Francsico Vargas. And the young kids need to graduate to where Jojo Diaz was at last year. And that's what a series like this will be for guys like Virgil Ortiz and other young prospects to advance and make a name for themselves.

[Butch.McRae]

There is a kickboxing series on ESPN2. Do you know anything about that. A time buy from whatever promotion it is or ESPN trying to get as close to MMA series as possible?

http://www.mmamania.com/2015/11/5/96...headed-to-espn

Not sure if it's a time buy, but I'm willing to bet it is. I doubt the network management is paying for this content when there is a market for selling the time slots.

[bigdunny1]

This is a time buy structure, where the "sponsors" will pay for the cards. Not sure how much money will be allocated for these cards; i'm guessing very little. Hopefully we get some quality out of this platform b/c as of right now we're still pretty reliant on premium cable for a good fight night.

Golden Boy already knows how to handle the promotions and small budgets. Look at the success on FS1 or the LA Fight Club series they have. It will basically be what they doing with their R!ng TV live but getting paid more and having more exposure. They do what PBC should of done which is keep the cost down promote the hell out their events (LA Fight Club is always packed). PBC is spending at least 10X the amount of money on their FS1 series while producing the exact same ratings Golden Boy got and forced to give away free tickets.

[Butch.McRae]

Like someone else said. Golden Boy lost a ton of fighters with the Haymon split but also got a stack of cash as part of the Schaefer lawsuit settlement in 2015. They took that money and signed a ton top bluechip prospects to re-stock the shelf. Golden Boy now has a ton of young studs. I can't find another promoter who is more loaded with with top talented fighters under the age of 24. Problem they have is they have Canelo and a ton of young kids who are a year or 2 away. It's that middle area of current champs they are light only Vargas, Linares. They need to graduate guys like Jojo Diaz, to the next level like they did Francsico Vargas. And the young kids need to graduate to where Jojo Diaz was at last year. And that's what a series like this will be for guys like Virgil Ortiz and other young prospects to advance and make a name for themselves.

You are right about Golden Boy having some good prospects, but that's what drives me crazy about boxing in its current state. All the main factions have good prospects (Top Rank, GoldenBoy, Haymon's crew)

Imagine if there was a "UFC"; this deal would lead to Lubin, Conlan, Stevenson, Diego, Davis, Haney, etc. all on ESPN2. That would be worth watching. But we're stuck with this cluster**** of a sport as it is.

[bigdunny1]

This isn't about PBC. This is another money grab for ESPN. GoldenBoy will be buying their time, using "sponsor" money. ESPN could care less about which company pays for the time slots, as long as they don't have to pay for it themselves.

That's why FNF went away, it was deemed a bad investment. This just adds more revenue to the ESPN bottom line, with minimal cost.

Not true. FNF went away because PBC came with the brinks truck and paid them a ton and were supposed to give them tons of boxing content per year. Then PBC ran out of money and ESPN is going dark with no boxing content 9 of the 12 months last year. FNF wasn't a bad investment they were pulling better ratings then PBC on FS1 operating on like a 20-40K show budget.