Comments Thread For: HBO is Leaving Boxing After 45 Years, Network Announces

[buddyguns]

You don't think there is isn't just gonna be a DAZN vs ESPN vs Showtime/FOX thing going on now?

It'd be cool if you were right, but idk that Spence will be on DAZN or ESPN anytime soon or Bud or Loma will be on Showtime/FOX or DAZN anytime soon or Joshua will be on Showtime/FOX or ESPN anytime soon. Everyone is still gonna guard their best fighters being on other platforms I tend to believe.

Nothing will ever be perfect in the fragmented sport that we all love. Sanctioning bodies, promoters, and networks will always deprive us.

My comment was really focusing on the impact that HBO and Showtime have had in stalling big fights. ESPN, DAZN, and Fox are all still relatively young in the fight game. None of those three are even in the area of hosting big fights yet.

Disney's recent acquisition of 21st Century Fox (I realize Fox wasn't included in the deal) and their holdings in ESPN should provide less roadblocks. Showtime and Fox's content is typically supplied by Haymon Sports, so that's less of a roadblock. And Hearn's willingness to work with other promoters doesn't really leave DAZN on an island yet.

But I'm probably being a bit too optimistic.

[Illmatic94]

Al Haymon lands a thudding right to the chin!!!


HBO drops


They're not gettin up Jim!!!

[N/A]

It's disgusting that some "Boxing fans" are actually cheering this on like its a good thing.

It is a good thing. Top PBC fighters are rarely going to fight top non-PBC fighters. Top ESPN fighters are rarely going to fight top non-ESPN fighters. Top DAZN fighters are rarely going to fight top non-DAZN fighters.

And top HBO fighters rarely fought top non-HBO fighters.

So why would a boxing fans want the top fighters isolated on four different islands if there can instead be three different islands? And then hopefully DAZN flops and there will only be two different islands.

The fewer islands there are, the more likely it is that you'll get to see the fights you want to see.

Or would you rather have the NBA with LeBron, the ABA with Durant, the BBA with Steph Curry and the OBA with James Harden and none of the best players ever play each other?

Think about how crazy it would be in other sports if the US didn't have one dominant league? How does it benefit boxing fans to have four? The more things consolidate, the better it is for fans.

[WhatDisButtonDo]

God forbid entertaining european fighters (loma,ggg,kov) get spotlight on tv. DATS RACIST!!!!!!

But its A-OK to prop up hype jobs like broner and cram him down the viewers throat.

My point was that there bias and switch was very obvious, and it basically came out of no where from about 2013. It's not like they were pushing eastern europeans since the 90s, coincidentally, their push for EE's coincided with Floyd and Haymon taking most of their fighters to showtime.

[N/A]

Boxing's practically dead in America. At best the family is just deciding whether to pull the life support.

Showtime, FOX, ESPN and DAZN are spending hundreds of millions of dollars a year for the US rights to boxing matches.

You are brain dead my friend. I think it's you that needs the life support pulled.

[SeGoodland]

Boxing isn't what it once was, there's no big names out there for big exciting fights. Canelo/GGG was it but now its over, no Floyd, no Pac, no Cotto, no Ward, and Kov just got KO'd. There's only some good fights for hardcore fans. Boxing PPV is dead too.

In the US. Its only just warming up over here is not-so-sunny Britain.

[iamboxing]

We do get HBO in the UK, it’s called Sky Atlantic. You also have Showtime Content

They show HBO shows, but it's not really HBO, just American TV shows with a mix of HBO. HBO have more than one channel when you subscribe. I think they like have 3 or 4 channels so you can watch past shows. For example, Sky Atlantic could be showing Season 4 of the Wire, so you'd have to wait for it to finish to watch from the start of add the boxsets option on your Sky subscription, which to be fair is only Ł5, but then you have to get Sky entertainment for Ł20 and then pay Ł5 to watch in HD.

[BoliviaChiLEsp]

Sad news

I fought in love with the sport thanks to HBO Boxing.

[j.razor]

“Because of our association with boxing, people forget that we’re not a sports network. We’re a storytelling platform.”

Triple L is a STORY! LMMFAO!!

[j.razor]

Who will Canelo sign with??

I'm starting to think espn. He should go where the wolves are at (Showtime).