Tweet
Originally posted by champion4ever
View Post
-
bnot the NBA and ABA -
It was good for the NBA not the ABA.Originally posted by bballchump11 View Post
Same as the NFL and AFL.
And WWF-WCW on another scale.
The smaller company will get absorbed into the large one.Comment
-
Golden Boy could tip the balance by taking Canelo to one of the other three.
Or fracture the sport even further by getting a separate deal/network of their own, making it a 4-way competition.Comment
-
-
LOL this is true.Originally posted by MasterPlan View Post
There are gonna be casualties here. But enjoy it all while its here I say.Comment
-
I think you're going to see the same type of problems emerge.
Stephen Espinoza did an interview a couple months back with Radio Raheem, and he mentioned that Showtime is willing to send some of their fighters to fight on other networks but basically only the lower tiered guys. He mentioned that fighters like Wilder, Mikey and Spence would basically be a non negotiable and the fights would have to take place on Showtime. Basically these are fighters that they've invested a lot of time and money into building and they wouldn't want another platform to reap the benefits.
The problem is that those three fighters are linked to the 3 biggest potential fights coming up. Wilder vs. Joshua would almost have to happen on Showtime, since Joshua still has a contract with Showtime. But Mikey and Spence, have Lomachenko and Crawford both on ESPN. That's going to really complicate things. Especially since the best option is to have them on ESPN where there will be more viewers.Comment
-
Yes and no
Initially, the instinct of Arum will be to try and hoard talent (Things can change, but I clearly don't think that what Eddie Hearn has now is enough to get his deal extended in a year).
Still, in the phase after that, the sport is going to be in a position where Showtime/CBS, FOX/FS1, and ESPN/ESPN+ will have the higher-ups lean on folks (with the Matchroom Sport deal likely up, DAZN could re-emerge as a buyer of fights/tournaments, to go along with BellatorFC and the other content that they might get).
Each network will place the priority on the fighters most important to their strategy, and the fighters that aren't that core focus will be involved in conversations.
It won't lead to every fight getting made (Showtime/CBS has focused on featuring welterweight fighters basically since the deal to get Floyd, but ESPN has been convinced by Top Rank that Terence Crawford can carry ESPN+), but it'll lead to most fights being made.
The toughest makeable fight is likely going to be Lomachenko vs Garcia (both guys are important to ESPN and Showtime, respectively; once Bob Arum's nonsense gets sidelined by ESPN and the split determined, ESPN likely ends up hosting the PPV).
As much as the broadcasters are competing for boxing content, their really not; Showtime/CBS is focused on the Marquee/feature fights, boxing is being used to build ESPN+ for Disney, and Fox Sports is using boxing to fill the combat sports calendar for Big FOX, but also to add to the quality content available to FS1 (turning it more into a full sports channel to watch, akin to regular ESPN).
Fights without obvious homes will be put up in quasi-bids (ie BoxRec has Jerwin Ancajas as rated #7 at the weight, with none of the other fighters in the top 20 earnestly drawing feature TV outside of possibly Kal Yafai in England and Roman Gonzalez; ESPN+ needs the content, so the lean can be put on Bob Arum to deliver an unofficial 115 unification tournament because no one else is really invested at the weight).
GYM is on it's way to having 3 of the 4 champions at 175, 168lbs is wide open with 4 emerging stars just starting to peak, DAZN has made their bet on the cruiserweights, Showtime basically has 126/147/154 sown up, middleweight is now in the lurch and looking for a new home with the end of HBO Boxing, etc.
Things will be messy, but interested in how things end upComment
-
Joshua doesn't have a contract with SHO. That ran out after the Parker fight. He doesn't have a deal with DAZN either, that was just a one off. If the Wilder fight is to happen, it will be Sky Box Office in the UK and likely SHO PPV stateside.Originally posted by TheCell8 View Post
Spence vs Crawford according to Bob only happens when it becomes PPV level where both make good money. But even if a fight can be made between the two, that will be on PPV. Is Garcia vs Lomachenko really PPV level as well? Because while Garcia isn't signed to SHO, they have invested big in him and he's not going to just leave to ESPN for that fight. Whatever network puts up more money should get that fight.
Espinoza said that before the FOX deal was announced. No way does he keep all his guys now without them ever fighting on FOX. I know he was talking about ESPN, but he was saying we have shown the last 11 fights for this guy or the last 10 fights for this guy so we feel the opponent should come over to SHO not the other way around.
As for the OP, the three big money players will put on good fights, but more often than not we will miss on some great match ups as usual. Just par for course in boxing. More money being invested in the sport is great, but losing top level match ups is not so good.Comment
-
Not if it gets in the way of fights.Comment
-
Exactly.Originally posted by b00g13man View Post
If this gets in the way of fights happening then it sucks.Comment
Comment