We need the BBC to continue in boxing

Chris the fighter · Post by **Chris the fighter** » 11 Jun 2004, 11:34

The Beeb or ITV are the only ones you can make a popular local fighter into a popular national one. say what you like about Audley Harrison but he is the most well known fighter in Britain because he won a Olympic Gold medal on the BBC and all his fights are on the BBC.
I don't have Sky and even though the BBC commentors make me wince at times I would still rather have them then not.

dondada · Post by **dondada** » 11 Jun 2004, 11:39

Correct. Terrestrial telly coverage is essential for the sport.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 11 Jun 2004, 11:43

And will never happen.

Face it, the world has moved on from the days when families gathered round the gas-powered TV set to watch boxing on a regular basis. There are too many other things competing for the TV time, including wank sitcoms and gameshows, re-runs of Dad's army, and changing king of the big brother chef from hell reality TV shows.

The best we can hope for is maybe a couple of weekly shows which at least give people an insight into what is happening in the sport, and coverage of decent matchups a couple of times a month.

I simply cannot see any way that a free terrestrial channel can afford to sacrifice prime-time slots over to boxing, when there are no major advertisers who wish to associate themselves with the sport.

dondada · Post by **dondada** » 11 Jun 2004, 11:48

[quote="jamesmcdonnell"]

The best we can hope for is maybe a couple of weekly shows which at least give people an insight into what is happening in the sport, and coverage of decent matchups a couple of times a month.
quote]

That would do nicely.

Kilburn · Post by **Kilburn** » 11 Jun 2004, 12:47

It's a shame Cook and Pickering are back on Sky next month. Cook particularly was coming across well as a ringside guest and was doing the business in the ring. Just the kind of fighter the Beeb needed.

kevo · Post by **kevo** » 11 Jun 2004, 13:04

Well the Beeb have only got themselves to blame. Every fighter wants to be a household name, and thats not going to happen when you're fights are being shownat 11pm on a wednesday night.

tonyevs · Post by **tonyevs** » 11 Jun 2004, 18:39

jamesmcdonnell wrote:And will never happen.

Face it, the world has moved on from the days when families gathered round the gas-powered TV set to watch boxing on a regular basis. There are too many other things competing for the TV time, including wank sitcoms and gameshows, re-runs of Dad's army, and changing king of the big brother chef from hell reality TV shows.

What program can get higher ratings than a Friday or Saturday night `Fight night`.
I disagree with the view of families not gathering around the TV set, most men, and a lot of women would watch boxing, and put on at a sensible time, the kids could watch and hopefully get the boxing bug.
“Wank sitcoms and re-runs” could never compete.
This can only benefit the sport, by getting the youngsters into it and also making stars out of the boxers, something SKY cannot do, Michael Gomez would be an absolute star by now with his style if he fought on terrestrial TV..sadly he could walk down most high streets in the UK and never be noticed at this present time.
Boxing needs Terrestrial TV.

Matchfixer · Post by **Matchfixer** » 11 Jun 2004, 19:13

tonyevs wrote: I disagree with the view of families not gathering around the TV set, most men, and a lot of women would watch boxing, and put on at a sensible time, the kids could watch and hopefully get the boxing bug.

Not being funny but I've never met a woman who likes boxing. In fact, most of them hate the sight of one man punching another.

tonyevs · Post by **tonyevs** » 11 Jun 2004, 19:28

How many women have you met ?

Matchfixer · Post by **Matchfixer** » 11 Jun 2004, 19:29

tonyevs wrote:How many women have you met ?

Not enough obviously... :(

Then again, I would find the idea of a woman who liked boxing and fighting in general slightly intimidating.

I agree with your point in general though. Boxing has potential to be bigger than it is now (television wise) that's for sure!

tonyevs · Post by **tonyevs** » 11 Jun 2004, 19:39

I did not mean to come across `stroppy` but unless I choose the rough type(most probable) most girls I know love boxing..they don`t know a left hook from a fish-hook but they love to see two blokes knock lumps out of each other..
Most men like to fight..most women like to watch..or in my experience anyhow!

Matchfixer · Post by **Matchfixer** » 11 Jun 2004, 20:04

tonyevs wrote:I did not mean to come across `stroppy` but unless I choose the rough type(most probable) most girls I know love boxing..they don`t know a left hook from a fish-hook but they love to see two blokes knock lumps out of each other..
Most men like to fight..most women like to watch..or in my experience anyhow!

You didn't come across as stroppy. You asked a valid question.

As long as women don't expect me to fight for entertainment, I'm happy to mix with any type

Goz · Post by **Goz** » 11 Jun 2004, 20:06

This is why I've always said that if Wank Forren had a long term view, setting up some kind of deal with the Beeb or ITV would be in his interest. Think about it, build up the likes of Hatton on terrestrial national TV (splitting the cost of staging his mismatches) then when he reaches world title/class level go to SKY or PPV and coin it in once the nation is hooked. Just how it happened with Hamed, Eubank, Benn e.t.c

Show the big fights live, let Grandstand show it a week later, free advertising e.t.c....

tonyevs · Post by **tonyevs** » 11 Jun 2004, 20:11

spot on..

tonyevs · Post by **tonyevs** » 11 Jun 2004, 20:13

By making his fighters into bigger stars he can demand more money, so it makes sense all round.
The TV charge more money for advertsing etc..

JimStone · Post by **JimStone** » 12 Jun 2004, 06:06

You're taking the wrong medication if you think boxing could top (or even come close to topping) the TV ratings. It's a minority sport.

It doesn't take much comprehending. ITV is a money making enterprise. Using their extensive knowlege and experience they put on programmes they believe will attract the viewers in their millions. They then charge for advertising accordingly.

They know what people will watch and what they won't, at this time they obviously don't think people want to watch boxing. They're right.

dondada · Post by **dondada** » 12 Jun 2004, 06:20

FlawedGenius wrote:You're taking the wrong medication if you think boxing could top (or even come close to topping) the TV ratings. It's a minority sport.

It doesn't take much comprehending. ITV is a money making enterprise. Using their extensive knowlege and experience they put on programmes they believe will attract the viewers in their millions. They then charge for advertising accordingly.

They know what people will watch and what they won't, at this time they obviously don't think people want to watch boxing. They're right.

I think with the right promotion, boxing would no longer be a minority sport. Over the last twenty years, there have been some HUGE ratings for boxing. McGuigan-Pedroza, Bruno-plenty of times.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 12 Jun 2004, 11:22

Ian 'Mr' McNeilly wrote:
FlawedGenius wrote:You're taking the wrong medication if you think boxing could top (or even come close to topping) the TV ratings. It's a minority sport.

It doesn't take much comprehending. ITV is a money making enterprise. Using their extensive knowlege and experience they put on programmes they believe will attract the viewers in their millions. They then charge for advertising accordingly.

They know what people will watch and what they won't, at this time they obviously don't think people want to watch boxing. They're right.
I think with the right promotion, boxing would no longer be a minority sport. Over the last twenty years, there have been some HUGE ratings for boxing. McGuigan-Pedroza, Bruno-plenty of times.

Yeah, if Hatton can fill big arena's fighting nobodies for a bogus title based on the TV figures that Sky attract, just imagine what ratings (and stadiums) he could acquire with the right backing.

When the BBC first showed boxing again (I think it was a Delroy Leslie fight) their Sunday Grandstand figures were a few million. Delroy Leslie in the middle of the afternoon, with little advertising.

When "The big fight" was on ITV boxing was talked about almost as much as football in School, I would say it was the 3rd most talked about sport (behind Football and Rugby).

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 12 Jun 2004, 14:06

If you think that Boxing can compete on equal terms with something like Big Brother, you're out of your fornicating minds, seriously, fornicate all women like boxing, I know plenty of women and I can only think of one ex-girlfriend who enjoyed boxing, and that was only because I got her into it. Most women find violence pretty offputting, how many women do you see at boxing matches?

No way on earth are BBC or ITV going to fornicate around with their Saturday night schedules to include boxing, unless it is a contest of huge significance, and those events involving British fighters are very rare.

The nature of television has changed now, and the globalisation of sport, and the fact that all the other major sports have got their asses well organised has left boxing out in the cold. Boxing has not really changed with the times enough to compete with NBA, NFL, Premier League etc.

dondada · Post by **dondada** » 12 Jun 2004, 14:38

It probably can't compete with Big Brother. But fornicate me, surely reality shows have gone past saturation point? Saturday night telly is wank and has been for fornicating years. I can't see showcasing a fight once a month or even couple of months doing any harm to scheduling.

tonyevs · Post by **tonyevs** » 12 Jun 2004, 16:03

How often are there advertisements on the back page of BN looking to match female boxer? Quite often from what I have seen.
There will always be a majority male presence at boxing shows, it`s the nature of the sport, but I am sure I am not the only one who knows women who like the sport.
And there are quite a lot of women at shows I go to, maybe keeping their boyfriends and husbands company but they are still there.
Boxing has been made into a minority sport by lack of exposure.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 12 Jun 2004, 16:16

It certainly hasn't helped the sport, that's without a doubt, but I do think that we live in more politcally correct times, and I think this is part of what makes it hard for boxing to attract the big sponsors it would like, it's much less a part of the fabric of society now, how many young kids have any experience of boxing now, I was taught it at primary school, I cannot imagine any school allowing their pupils to belt eachother on school grounds these days.

I think what is most needed is for the BBC to really get organised with their coverage, so that they provide a comprehensive enough coverage of the world scene, so that when the big fights come, people actually know who they fighters are.

If they can do that, and occasionally get a big international fight, at least for delayed broadcast, and a weekly boxing show which gives a good recap of the action abroad, and then enough domestic boxing to make the major players well-known, it would really help boxing in this country, and I think it would really help the boxers too, because national coverage translates into interest from the Americans, look how they have fallen over themselves to show Audley's fights, even early in his career. How many Americans have heard of Matt Skelton?

tonyevs · Post by **tonyevs** » 12 Jun 2004, 17:02

Agree with most of your comments.
I would say boxing has not lost its popularity due to `politically correct times` but more to do with it being taken away from the masses.
The politically correct theory does not hold up when shows like `Jackass and Dirty Sanchez` are so popular.
My opinion is that since the likes of Benn, Eubank, Bruno and Hamed jumped ship and went to satellite the sport has been dying.
These boxers regularly turned up on chat shows and family game shows, who was the last boxer you seen on the TV who fought after these?.
Have the Americans really fallen over themselves to show Audley`s fights…I mean contests?
I correspond with some people in the states and none really know much about him, that said they know absolutely nothing about Skelton.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 12 Jun 2004, 17:13

James, you say Big Brother is huge - its hyped up as huge and alot of its fans are addicted (and talk about it) but ratings wise its not great. Its Channel 4's top show, but only just ahead of Friends.

More people tuned into the "ratings disastor" that was survivor than Big Brother, maybe if BB was on a better channel it would get bigger ratings, but C4 is seen by all of the UK (well, S4C in Wales but it still shows BB on prime time).

The BBC boxing is watched by almost the same amount as prime time BB (well, the Sunday Afternoon slot ones).

mickeybeard · Post by **mickeybeard** » 13 Jun 2004, 14:05

jamesmcdonnell wrote:... how many women do you see at boxing matches?

Quite a lot. Not as many as the blokes, but at least 25% of the audience I'd say. Less at the smaller shows, and more at the bigger shows. I don't know any women that are hradcore fans, but I know a lot who will sit and watch boxing and enjoy it. Generally, they don't know anything about it because it's promoted in such a piss-poor fashion, and only realise it's on if they come round to visit me and the missus and we're watching.