Comments Thread For: Arum Explains Why Ditching HBO For ESPN Was The Right Move

[LOCOMEX89]

oscar better let linares go to showtime so he can fight mikey in 2018!

I second that. Interested to see what network he fights on the following week after Canelo vs GGG. He's supposed to headline.

[Bronx2245]

It's OK Bob, you can credit Dana White, but the real credit deserves to go to Al Haymon, the guy you tried to destroy!

[Scipio2009]

Love him or hate him, but Bob is 100% right on this one. It's time to move away from both HBO & SHO Time.

HBO and Showtime aren't the issue; the issue has largely been the reliance on PPV for every even basically good fight in recent history.

Arum's opening Gambit is to try and use the exposure on ESPN to then turn around and sell his big fights on Top Rank Boxing PPV. How is that solving anything?

HBO is doing their own thing, but Showtime/CBS and PBC are on a different model than Top Rank; pretty much eliminate the PPV, leverage all available avenues to get fans engaged, and take as big a fight as possible to as large an audience as makes sense.

Floyd fights on PPV, and Canelo Alvarez fights on PPV (Andre Ward is borderline at this point); outside of a few fights (Ward-Stevenson, Wilder-Joshua, possibly Joshua-Klitschko II, possibly Ward-Bellew), every main event fight that you can possibly think of can be put on for whatever CBS had to commit to get Thurman-Garcia and have the fighters splitting $4m.

PPV can't and shouldn't be a regular occurrence in boxing, and Arum still doesn't seem to get that.

[bronx7]

Years back all stars built on wide world of sports hbo free tv Hearns Leonard hagler Holmes etc then super fights you paid

[Scipio2009]

I'm still waiting to hear details on financing. Without a significant war chest, the fights will inevitably either be mismatches or ****y cards. They haven't said a word about it. I find it hard to believe that ESPN would be financing cards while they are bleeding subscribers, viewers, and laying off staff. So I'm assuming Bob is co-financing these cards with some unidentified investors (probably are PE firm).

I still don't see how this is a financially viable move. Manny can't fight on every card.

The cards don't inherently have to be ****; even in matches involving prospects, Haymon and his camp have done a pretty stellar job in focusing on having competitive matchups, regardless of where guys are in their careers. Tough/even matchmaking has a way to make up for lack of starpower.

I don't know Arum's entire stable, but, as an example, let's talk about Ponomarev (welterweight that he had back out of the eliminator against Errol Spence Jr); he needs a fight, and Arum's not going to pony up big money. Nothing is stopping him from putting a call in for Leonard Bundu or Aaron Martinez or Samuel Vargas (rugged, tough, awkward fighters who come to fight).

Still, a lot left to know, a promoter who likes to talk, but a US boxing press that will likely avoid asking the needed questions, for concern over loss of access.

[p4ptbe]

i second that. Interested to see what network he fights on the following week after canelo vs ggg. He's supposed to headline.

who linares? Isnt he fighting in england? It might only be on boxnation over there maybe! But haymon let chavez and amir go over there and fight canelo! Also hopkins said jacobs is fighting on canelo vs ggg undercard! So they are doing business together and linares vs mikey makes sense

[LOCOMEX89]

who linares? Isnt he fighting in england? It might only be on boxnation over there maybe! But haymon let chavez and amir go over there and fight canelo! Also hopkins said jacobs is fighting on canelo vs ggg undercard! So they are doing business together and linares vs mikey makes sense

Yeah. Rumor is he's main eventing state side the week after Canelo vs GGG.

[Scipio2009]

Where are you finding this information about this FOX PBC deal? I've searched on Google and can't seem to find anything.

PBC has consolidated their content offerings down to Showtime/CBS, the quarterly shows on BounceTV, and Fox/FS1 (who seem beyond happy with the content; there's a Sports Business Journal article up, talking about how SpikeTV is still interested on a fight-by-fight basis and how NBC may be interested in talking about a package later, but Fox is still in things heavy right now).

Fox/FS1 seem to be the frontrunner for the coming PBC package (Rd 1 deals are up at the end on 2017), so a package is likely being discussed going forward.

Guessed at the details likely being talked about (for all of the PBC fights to go to one broadcaster, a deal featuring 40 dates a year made sense to me)

[Scipio2009]

Very good post man. And i agree with it all except i dont think espn will allow bob to put up a ton of **** fights. And i think in their deal espn does have some say in it. Only time will tell though. Appreciate you and peace out

If Arum is putting up the money (which I suspect), he's likely not going to tolerate anyone telling him anything; deal likely goes the way of the TruTV deal if things break down (TimeWarner gave Arum a chance, Arum saw the short money and acted to his nature, and TimeWarner pulled the plug once they saw what was going on).

[p4ptbe]

yeah. Rumor is he's main eventing state side the week after canelo vs ggg.

oh ok i also heard linares vs salido! Maybe thats why salido turned down loma! Maybe espn2 then