POLL: It's not lack of HW that killed boxing in the US. It's lack of TV Coverage

I was watching Holmes fight on a Saturday afternoon listening to Howard Cossel talking about how he has big shoes to fill, but he's faring well considering he's filled the stadium and the 7 share was something unheard of.

Free fights on network tv was killed by HBO and the money they had to lure the fighters away from WWoS. Then PPV offered even larger paydays so the men would mostly go to the bar for the fights leaving mom and the kids behind.

NBC is bringing it back quickly with thier cable series and ESPN and USA kept it alive some, but their needs to be some competition. FOX sports could do it now that they've an agreement with TR and GBP....if they'd only show live bouts.:rofl

 

People are sheep and will support whatever the media tells them is "the next big thing".

If they put Boxing back on and started promoting the sport, people would fall in line.

 

Totally agree. Coverage is vital to every sport. If you have to pay to see everything and pay even more to see anything important you'll lose all but the most interested fans and never get any new converts. Look at Germany, it wasn't really a boxing country for a long time then the Klitschkos become stadium fillers and other guys attract very good crowds and tv ratings, and it's no coincidence that happened when the regular tv chanels started showing the sport again. Britain had a bit of a boom when ITV picked it back up, unfortunately that didn't last, and now most of our boxings on a chanel with 15000 viewers.

 

what rubbish are you talking about tyson he was fighting on HBO half through in 1986, this a premier cable channel in the USA, there is only 30 million subscribers on it now, he had some fight on ABC, look the reason ABC,CBS got out of boxing in because fighters and promoters didn't like to take fights when they were only getting offered low ball money and these cable channels down the road are putting up millions. free to air tv, just can't compete with the money, if they won't top fighters like tyson they need millions not a couple of hundred grand, it is not going back to free to air. smaller show can happen, but the top of the tree will never go back, one thing fighters should get is maximum amount of money.

 

Lack of TV coverage...and fighters don't fight often enough.

Our Parents/Grandparents were spoiled. Top level fighters fought often.

That said, the current HW division for "American" Talent is not good so nobody would pay attention anyway. Although, if there was more coverage, would that inspire a youth to get into boxing ? Hmmm

 

because they won't to get payed money, this is not rocket science, why is Soccer on Pay tv, I will take a guess MONEY. Free to air boxing is ok if networks like ITV, BBC, Channel5 who ever now there place, small shows not big shows.

 

TV would help. Imagine If Mayweather sacrificed one PPV for a free fight? It would be huge and get tons of ratings, sponsors, new fans etc etc.

Some of my friends like MMA but they complain whenever the fight goes to the mat which tells me they are actually boxing and kickboxing fans that don't even know it, air some free fights, get them into it and voila, more fans.

There is a downside to having more casual fans though, unless they get an all out wild brawl they seem to think it's because the fighters are NOT good lol. I kind of like how boxing is more of a niche sport nowadays. I like a good ol' brawl just as much as the casual fans but I atleast recognize that isn't considered good boxing.

 

Lack of talent, unfortunately.