Boxxer under pressure from Sky ?

BJS far out lol wouldn't give that guy the time of day. Weren't you also having a go at him after he claimed that he hadn't been paid the full amount after he fought Canelo?

He's only back because he's run out of money. Can't stand him now after once being a fan of his.

 

They definitely won’t put CBS v Riakporhe on PPV

 

How long do you think Boxxer will last mate?

 

It’s nearly 1 year since Smith went absent. Is it addiction, is it illness. I have never seen anything official from Sky. Will he be returning?

 

I saw a few mumblings of the C word.

His break was planned months in advance, surely if it was gambling he’d have gone on a break there and then?

 

In all honesty not too sure. As it stands 2025 as they have a great tv deal. Unless they turn it around in the next 18 months. Sky will either cut the deal or lower the budget. Likely more in line with the BT/TNT output. For the money Sky pay for regular fight fight nights compared to TNT the viewers aren’t massively different. Maybe double but paying 4 times the price.

My guess is Ben try’s to get investment in to fund him or tries scales back and tries to make 2/3 PPV styles fights but there really isn’t many PPV fighters. British boxing is in a transition. Plenty of talent coming through but will be 2/3 years before we see the next set of big fights.

in the meantime it will be Benn vs Eubank, AJ vs Fury or Wilder. Then likely Benn vs Brook and Eubank vs BJS, I think Dubois vs Joyce will happen as it makes sense.

Sky and Boxxer have seen the Marshall vs Shields, Okolie vs CBS fights and know the business it does plus the results that happened at it’s tough to make work with the fees Sky now want to pay for the fights.

wouldn’t be surprised to see Shalom make a play for a misfits fighter soon seeing the business they do. My guess is of Tommy wins on Saturday he will be all over trying to get Tommy across to Sky on a few PPVs but Tommy has seen the money he gets for these fights

 

Interest point regarding the comparison between the Sky and BT budget. I think Warren does a great job with what he’s given. Surprised Sky never tried to get him across once Hearn left.

Boxxer need Azim and Whittaker to progress really quickly without any hiccups.

 

Great reply, cheers. It's interesting how perceptions come about; Shalom has been crafting a "nice guy, will work with everyone" image since he came into the Sky deal - yet behind the scenes he seems to be pretty amateur and spraying the money about to try and make things work.

Hearn has his haters but you rarely hear a bad word about dealings with Matchroom. Of course there are disgruntled fighters that don't get the value they think they're worth, and there's the odd very rare story of people paid late, but it's very much the exception. Rather than persuade boxers they're superstars by paying them so much, as Boxxer seems to be doing, Matchroom always seems to be on the level based on what fighters bring in. You can see how, in the previous decade, Matchroom and Sky worked so well on exclusive terms.

 

I would state that the exclusivity of boxing on Sky, TNT and DAZN UK has resulted in the serious decline in quality of cards and fights.

The fights we want to see are not being made and replaced by women's fights or even worse cartoon cards such as Saturday In Manchester.

 

They do but it will be interesting how the McGuigans move Azim. They got a stable brewing on Sky and a nice little earner from the channel 5 days. Wouldn’t surprise me if they but a few bridges in the meantime if Boxxer are not renewed and try to get a deal done for Caroline, CBS and Azim with a network.

 

That's true now. For a period until probably 2019 things were OK; Channel 5 had more variety, Sky had Matchroom trying to make decent cards and regular Saturday nights; BT had Frank Warren picking himself up from BoxNation step by step - we probably had better fights, few clashes and fewer subscriptions. You're 100% right that too much attachment between promoters and networks has ruined it.

 

so what happens with Azim and mcguigans other fighters once the sky deal ends in mid 2025?? i think adam is still signed to boxxer until 2026.

 

Who knows but I would imagine there’s clauses in the contract that states his fights have to be broadcast on a major distribution platform. Boxxer May still have a Sky deal at that point If they turn it around or maybe one with a lower budget

 

Boxing has a year to get itself together as the new football rights deal comes online in 2025. Expect to see a big increase in rights fee, a four year term and possibly an additional 70 PL games all competing with boxing for that important Saturday night slot.



If DAZN don't win a slice of the rights they won't last another 5 years (2024 and then 4 years of the PL rights deal).