boxing on Network T.V.

Some of the biggest fights in British boxing history were on network TV.

Benn vs. Eubank was huge. Hamed used to get 10 million viewers fighting nobodies on ITV. Even Calzaghe spent most of his career on ITV. Now all we get is second rate domestic fights.

 

At least you get something. In the US there is no boxing whatsoever on network TV.
Growing up in the 70s & 80s there were so many great fights on ABC, CBS & NBC almost every weekend it seemed. Now we get nothing.:verysad:verysad

 

There is espn, but its not on your on "basic/free channel." In order to have it you likely need to order basic or a premium cable package, and that runs anywhere between 30-50 bucks a month.

 

Its not been too bad actually, recently. Khan was on ITV, Calzaghe was. Late 1990's there was nothing. Early and mid 90's we had Benn/Eubank/Collins and Watson then Hamed - that was great.

Calzaghe and Khan both went PPV not so long ago. We got Froch-Pascal on ITV, that was excellent, but now I think Froch is going PPV, so we are left with Tyson Fury -() and Jon Thaxton (who lost is euro title last time out), and thats about it really.

 

Before boxing can get on the CBS, NBC and ABCs of the world..it has to prove to be worth it financially. Until boxing starts bringing in UFC-style money (which got EliteXC on CBS), They're going to be fighting an uphill battle to get back on major networks consistently.

 

EliteXC isn't running anymore but the company sold the contracts off to Strikeforce which will be on CBS and PPV. In other words, MMA will still be on prime TV and boxing won't.

Incorrect. They also show live fights and their euro PPVs are shown on tape delay for free here. For instance their last european PPV had three million viewers during the main event on tape delay...there aren't boxing shows live that do that sort of viewing in the US.

Every one of the channels you mentioned minus HBO and ESPN2 have MMA showcases and ESPN 2 shows kickboxing which some might consider to be on the same wave legnth.

How many networks are willing to pay fighters 20 mil for one fight?

That's part of the problem not part of the solution.

 

CBS and Showtime

 

correct.. I also remember the day as a child watching Championship fights on "ABC Wide World of Sports" The netwerks just wont spend the cash like HBO or showtimes does.. and its a shame. At least we have a major championship fight happening on ESPN. Maybe this will be the start of a new trend... I wonder how the PPV will do in this economy.... Let me see...$60.00 for a PPV or gas in my car?:yep

 

problem is CBS gets a lot of complaints about the brutal violence being on "free TV" compared to it on Cable like spike or something like that. It will be interesting to see if CBS puts it back on or more important to MMA keeps it on

 

Yeah, I remember this era well myself. When I first began watching boxing in the late 70s, and in the 80s, it was on the networks - and I mean all of them - EVERY weekend. Some big fights, like Ali-Spinks were even on PRIME TIME on the networks.

And even for the ones that were closed-circuit - that era's equivilant of PPV - they were broadcast on the networks the following week.

You didn't have to pay a DIME to get your boxing back then. Those were the days

 

Man i'd love for boxing to be on ABC, CBS, etc..I remember watching boxing on TNT!

 

Boxing was at it's best in the 70's -80's every Saturday night there would be a good fight on free network:happy those days are long gone greed killed the sport:-(, notice how fast boxing lost it's popularity when good fight's and fighters were no longer on FREE TV:deal

 

It has turned out to be a very bad strategic decision on the part of those who run the sport to go for the quick buck of subscription TV and even worse PPV, rather than at least deveoping new stars on network TV before moving them into the pay services.

But this is what happens when there is no central governing body that looks out for the long-term strategic health of the sport, rather than the fast payoff.