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

[Pigeons]

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.

When you have the right to match any offer, you have no incentive to bid a crazy amount off the bat. If they didn't have the right to match, they would have made a better offer initially.

[Butch.McRae]

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.

You're misunderstanding his point. Joshua fights on UK PPV, which is always around 2pm ET. He makes buckets of cash in the UK. The only way he's ever fighting in the US is on PPV and that would have to be in a Saturday primetime slot.

The only way HBO's ratings would matter would be if he fought in the US domestically on a free card. Since that will never happen, bringing up the networks ratings is irrelevant.

The only PPV fight he would entertain here is against Wilder who is with Showtime. Otherwise the network doesn't matter.

[Pigeons]

You're misunderstanding his point. Joshua fights on UK PPV, which is always around 2pm ET. He makes buckets of cash in the UK. The only way he's ever fighting in the US is on PPV and that would have to be in a Saturday primetime slot.

The only way HBO's ratings would matter would be if he fought in the US domestically on a free card. Since that will never happen, bringing up the networks ratings is irrelevant.

The only PPV fight he would entertain here is against Wilder who is with Showtime. Otherwise the network doesn't matter.

Why wouldn't you want the most eyes on you at all times regardless of where you are fighting? How are network ratings only relevant if he fights in America? His fights are still being televised in America regardless of where he fights.

[Butch.McRae]

Why wouldn't you want the most eyes on you at all times regardless of where you are fighting? How are network ratings only relevant if he fights in America? His fights are still being televised in America regardless of where he fights.

Because the money paid for a card to the promoter is upfront. The ratings don't matter. That's why pre card bidding is important in this context.

He gains nothing by switching but avoiding Wilder.

[Pandur]

When you have the right to match any offer, you have no incentive to bid a crazy amount off the bat. If they didn't have the right to match, they would have made a better offer initially.

I agree. It can be smart as you start out with a Low number, but still. If it would have been a biding war with the highest bid winning, I would think HBO would have placed the highest bid.

[Pandur]

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]

The only two things I disagree with is 1: HBO has The bigger wallet and would 100 % outbid Showtime to get Joshua, of they really wanted.

And no. 2: There is no way UFC goes to HBO. Premium cable?
UFC is having their worst year in a long time.
Their ratings would be so baaaad Im a Premium cable station like HBO.

[Pigeons]

Because the money paid for a card to the promoter is upfront. The ratings don't matter. That's why pre card bidding is important in this context.

He gains nothing by switching but avoiding Wilder.

Yes, but you can ask for more money the more viewers you get. If he draws 2M on Showtime in his next 2 fights, I promise you that HBO offer is going to be bigger than if he drew 300K in his next 2 fights.

On HBO, he'll draw bigger ratings than on Showtime, therefore he can ask for more money on subsequent fights while also making himself available to more viewers with each fight.

[Dramacyde]

Americans wont give 2 ****s about that British Roided ******!

[iamboxing]

Hearn saying Showtime has the option on the fight after Pulev means nothing because HBO aren't remotely interested in AJ. Showtime is his only choice. For British fighters, HBO only usually sweeps in when there's a final, polished product and AJ is only huge in the UK. Also, the replay on HBO got more views on Showtime because of Wlad's comeback and the fact that they probably heard it was a great fight.

[THEFRESHBRAWLER]

Why wouldn't you want the most eyes on you at all times regardless of where you are fighting? How are network ratings only relevant if he fights in America? His fights are still being televised in America regardless of where he fights.

Well he's with Showtime for now so you are arguing for no reason.