How to make PPV Boxing work in the UK??

PPV has been around since the 1970's as least, some of Ali's fights would be on network but the 'big ones' were on closed circuit. A perfect formula for success. It is the subsciption channels HBO, Showtime and Sky that kill sport. Its not just boxing either, cricket has suffered (darts, Sport?, but even so it was big before it went to sky).

Do people remember ITV showing international boxing from the far east (Galaxy bros) and Australia (Jeff Fenech) Curry v Rosi from Italy, how do you do that when you only have 1 non sport dedicated channel.

Boxing is dying on its arse in the USA because network TV dropped out 20 years ago, only interest is from Latin fans and thats beacsue they get lots of boxing on spanish language channels.

 

The figures in the last paragraph are absolutely delusional - no boxers in America are doing over 200,000-250,000buys without Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather being theri opponent. Less year both Marquez-Diaz and Mosley-Mora failed to get anywhere near 300,000.

 

HBO and Showtime basically run with boxing as their sporting output - for similar historical reasons it occupies the same hallowed spot in their programming schedules as football does with Sky. Therefore both channels are willing to invest a lot more in boxing than Sky because whereas Sky see boxing as a fringe sport they percieve it to be one of the main reasons people subscribe to their channel. Therefore the license fees that the channels pay can be eyewateringly big.

Also there's other structural benefits that the US has - casinos paying to bring fights to their location due to the passing trade it generates and economies of scale due to being such a large market (inc. Canada and Mexico).

 

Just the absolute opposite of the truth.

HBO may be struggling slightly due to mismanagment but Showtime is doing fantastic in America - adding an incredible number of subscribers.

Sky is doing fantastic in Britain - the largest broadcaster by far in the country.

Whether having all boxing on subscription services is good for the sport is one question. But don't pretend that those subscription services aren't doing extremely well for themselves at the moment.

 

Quality post :good

I have an ITV Khaokor fight. Khaokor>>>>>Khaosai

 

Boxing will be essentially dead within 25 years I reckon.

 

why do we want to make PPV work in the UK? PPV is a bad thing.

 

People need to remember exactly why ITV pulled out of boxing in the mid-nineties. It wasn't because Sky was flashing big cash at boxers but because we had a full blown moral panic after Eubank-Watson and Benn-McClellan in this country. People forget but there was very serious discussions in parliament and the media about whether boxing should be banned. The sport is lucky that as ITV pulled out of fright that Sky was ready and willing to step in otherwise today we probably wouldn't have a boxing industry of our own. Boxing is not a normal sport - it has become more and more niche as people have became more aware of how violent it is and the possible consqeuences of such violence.

 

Hagler/Leonard was shown prime time on Tuesday evening on ITV.

 

ITV pulled out because Naseem (Sports Network) and Eubank signed exclusive contracts with SKY, and the Regan's and Neary's brought into replace them, just did not make the numbers needed for a viable prime time Saturday evening slot.

 

They wish, ask Auntie...:good

 

Cricket suffered. Exactly who do you think funds the ECB all the work they do from the top down to grass roots. Without Sky money English cricket would be dead. The casual fan moans every few years cos they cant watch the Ashes yet how much other cricket do they care about. Its laughable.

Its a fallacy to think any sport outside football needs terrestrial tv to grow.

 

In terms of commercial value most estimates put the BBC behind Sky.

 

I was only a kid when Sky started working with Warren but can someone tell me how healthy the UK scene was when it came to TV. Dont just think about the big names, how was tv coverage for domestic fights?

I was always under the impression that if Sky never got involved the UK scene would have died on its feet. Which other channel would have gave fighters a chance to fight live on primetime TV for a british/commenwealth title etc?

People can talk about ITV all they want but few years back look how many fights were banished to ITV 4.

 

The BBC is miles behind Sky. In 20 years time when the BBC gets the licence fee taken away, they'll be struggling like all the other terrestrial channels. Hell they're already cutting back almost everything as it is.