Comments Thread For: Hearn Clarifies The U.S. Network Status of Anthony Joshua

[Pandur]

I read Showtime outbid HBO for the Pulev fight and i think they should stay that way. After the Wlad victory in an exciting fight he can get great bids from both networks and choose. Don't settle IMO.

Plus i truly believe if both joshua and Wilder win their next bouts then their unification matchup will be huge in the summer if 2018. Vegas fight!

Not exactly. Showtime had The right to make The First and last Offer.
HBO more than doubled Showtimes first offer.
Showtime only got The fight because they had The right to match any other offer.

[Scipio2009]

"For now we're with Showtime."

Eddie's moving Joshua over to HBO the first chance he gets.

For what? Showtime helped break Anthony Joshua to the US scene, and they've kept the money behind him in a world where HBO is clearly committing less and less to boxing.

You add that there aren't any heavyweights for him to fight on HBO (with the biggest potential fight currently being Deontay Wilder on Showtime), and making the move makes no sense.

[Pandur]

For what? Showtime helped break Anthony Joshua to the US scene, and they've kept the money behind him in a world where HBO is clearly committing less and less to boxing.

You add that there aren't any heavyweights for him to fight on HBO (with the biggest potential fight currently being Deontay Wilder on Showtime), and making the move makes no sense.

Joshua's rating has been pretty bad.
His highest rating was a replay on HBO.
Showtime hasn't really promoted him very well.

HBO more than doubled Showtimes first offer for the Pulev fight.

[Pigeons]

For what? Showtime helped break Anthony Joshua to the US scene, and they've kept the money behind him in a world where HBO is clearly committing less and less to boxing.

You add that there aren't any heavyweights for him to fight on HBO (with the biggest potential fight currently being Deontay Wilder on Showtime), and making the move makes no sense.

Exposure. HBO's replay of the Klitschko fight averaged more viewers than Showtime's live airing.

[vitali1999]

Joshua will be heavyweight champion for MANY years to come

[Butch.McRae]

For what? Showtime helped break Anthony Joshua to the US scene, and they've kept the money behind him in a world where HBO is clearly committing less and less to boxing.

You add that there aren't any heavyweights for him to fight on HBO (with the biggest potential fight currently being Deontay Wilder on Showtime), and making the move makes no sense.

The only reason to leave Showtime would be to duck Wilder. Why are people talking about ratings?

AJ will never fight on a free card in US during saturday primetime. He would only fight here on PPV. And as it stands there's only one guy who can deliver a U.S. PPV for him. Why would he leave the network that could make it happen, for one with no HWs at all.

[Scipio2009]

Joshua's rating has been pretty bad.
His highest rating was a replay on HBO.
Showtime hasn't really promoted him very well.

HBO more than doubled Showtimes first offer for the Pulev fight.

And Showtime matched the offer, almost without hesitation; we've seen examples of the opposite happening, but I'll leave it at that.

The replay on HBO was in primetime; the fights that Showtime has aired have all been in matinee; 400k homes isn't anything to turn your nose up at, but the Klitschko fight drew 650k homes for the live run in the afternoon.

Get Anthony Joshua a stateside fight (or at least a stateside media tour), have both he and Wilder settle their early 2018 fights without issue, and then spend the entire summer building to an August Wilder-Joshua fight, and I think you launch Anthony Joshua as a budding PPV star in the US.

If it becomes a battle of wallets, I don't think that HBO is committed enough to the sport to got to the matts against Showtime/CBS.

[Note: this is just been in my head, with nothing to corroborate the feeling, but I earnestly think that the UFC is heading to HBO once the Fox deal is up. Game of Throwns is wrapping up, HBO basically spent $700m to deliver the 7 years of the show, and locking up the UFC will give them a chance to "buy low" on the UFC and likely convert the UFC audience to an HBO audience]

[Scipio2009]

Exposure. HBO's replay of the Klitschko fight averaged more viewers than Showtime's live airing.

It's a 2pm show compared to a 9pm show. Beyond that, when you look at the actual numbers, 659k viewers live on Showtime versus 738k viewers on tape delay on HBO (when HBO is available in 25% more homes than Showtime) isn't something I'd be publicly hanging my hat on as an argument.

You add that Joshua is likely going to be fighting on PPV anyway and you're grasping

[IMDAZED]

I noticed the "option on this fight, and the next fight after" statement...

Translation: they have the option on the Pulev fight, and the Parker fight (allegedly it's next at Wembley)

Meaning they could bolt for HBO after and try to avoid Wilder with him being on Showtime. I'm not saying that will happen, but his statement seems to open that door.

Slick talk from Hearn here.

It's why Wilder says he wants him next. They're going to push very hard for that after Ortiz but perhaps to no avail.

[Pigeons]

It's a 2pm show compared to a 9pm show. Beyond that, when you look at the actual numbers, 659k viewers live on Showtime versus 738k viewers on tape delay on HBO (when HBO is available in 25% more homes than Showtime) isn't something I'd be publicly hanging my hat on as an argument.

You add that Joshua is likely going to be fighting on PPV anyway and you're grasping

You say that HBO is in 25% more homes like that helps Showtime at all. Why wouldn't Joshua want to fight on a network that draws higher ratings and is available in more homes?

As to your PPV point, you're tripping. Joshua-Wilder? Sure that would be on PPV. But if you really think he's about to fight the likes of Martin, Breazeale, Molina, Pulev, Parker on PPV, you're out of your mind.