Great article by Kevin Mitchell..

[Deserter]

Kevin Mitchell's latest blog is a great piece of writing and there are some interesting comments as well. Fill your boots gents:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/20 ... carl-froch

[Black Sam Bellamy]

A decent article until the "Sky do a fine job" quote. If this is the case, why wasn't Froch on SS1 at 10pm; thereby giving subscribers the service they want ?

[forcefraser]

Sky do a half decent job. The sad reality is that we on this and other forums are not in the majority in the UK, whenit comes to sporting preferences.

Most people don`t give two turds about boxing, simple as that.

As a boxing fans, we are not able to nehotiate from a position of strength. We are forced to swallow whatever crumbs they decide to follow us. Germany have it sorted. They have all the big fights (and many other fights) Free to air.

I pay 45 notes a month for Sky (purely for the boxing and other sports) and then I have to fork out another 15 quid in PPV to watch the likes of Amir Khan and Ricky Hatton.

It`s a sorry state of affairs, but one we unfortunately have little choice but to accept.

[Chris W 1982]

The current crop of boxers coming through have the potential to go so far. Degale, Groves, cox, Smith, Bellew and Gavin are just a few names who have all the necessary tools to become household names but they are being unfairly ignored by unsmart TV execs who are afraid to take a chance on a sport which is a bonafide ratings winner.

Time after time boxing has proved itself to be a commercial success. Audley Harrison, Clinton Woods, Amir Khan and Carl Froch are just a number of our guys who have received ratings well into the millions despite being aired in the graveyard shift and receiving hardly no promotion via TV or media advertising.

Football is in the process of killing itself, Test cricket is dwindling, England are rubbish in the One dayers, and Tennis always fails to produce a British champion. Whilst this is going on, Ricky Hatton took tens of thousands to America, A 17 year old Asian won a Silver medal, David Haye is close to the sports ultimate prize and Beijing produced a trio of medallists. But despite all this, the TV bosses will not give our sport a second look.

Promoters need to be aware of this and for the sake of the sports future, they need to work together on a more regular basis. The need for an instant profit may seem beneficial through their eyes but for our sport to survive years, decades and centuries down the line, then the guys who put on the fights need to be working alongside each other. The Super six is a good start, lets hope more innovation continues.

[Deserter]

Time after time boxing has proved itself to be a commercial success. Audley Harrison, Clinton Woods, Amir Khan and Carl Froch are just a number of our guys who have received ratings well into the millions.

I agree with almost everything you've said, but just feel obliged to point out that while boxing is a ratings success, it isn't a commercial success - it finds it far, far harder to attract advertising and sponsorship than other sports. This is partly to do with concerns with regards to 'brand assocation' and also perceptions (rightly or wrongly) about the type of audience that is watching.
And again, would you really fancy doing business with some of the promoters that characterise boxing?!

[MightyWarrior]

Good article. And notice it was the Germans who told Showtime to get stuffed last weekend, and put their super 6 show on peak local German time, and on one of the big free to air channels.
Whereas in the UK it was agreed to do things twilight zone style, middle of the bloody night, peak USA time, and on a channel hardly anyone could watch.

[Chris W 1982]

Time after time boxing has proved itself to be a commercial success. Audley Harrison, Clinton Woods, Amir Khan and Carl Froch are just a number of our guys who have received ratings well into the millions.

I agree with almost everything you've said, but just feel obliged to point out that while boxing is a ratings success, it isn't a commercial success - it finds it far, far harder to attract advertising and sponsorship than other sports. This is partly to do with concerns with regards to 'brand assocation' and also perceptions (rightly or wrongly) about the type of audience that is watching.
And again, would you really fancy doing business with some of the promoters that characterise boxing?!

Don't ya think that if boxing could go on Saturday night following one of ITVs jewel such as Dancing on ice or X factor then it could genearte better advertising???

[Deserter]

Time after time boxing has proved itself to be a commercial success. Audley Harrison, Clinton Woods, Amir Khan and Carl Froch are just a number of our guys who have received ratings well into the millions.

I agree with almost everything you've said, but just feel obliged to point out that while boxing is a ratings success, it isn't a commercial success - it finds it far, far harder to attract advertising and sponsorship than other sports. This is partly to do with concerns with regards to 'brand assocation' and also perceptions (rightly or wrongly) about the type of audience that is watching.
And again, would you really fancy doing business with some of the promoters that characterise boxing?!

Don't ya think that if boxing could go on Saturday night following one of ITVs jewel such as Dancing on ice or X factor then it could genearte better advertising???

Unfortunately not relative to the shows they're currently running. The reality is that whether it's ad agencies or direct clients (and particularly the big brands who inhabit Saturday evening TV), they want to hit a predominantly middle-class audience (disposable income) and frequently target the female in the household (tends to be the decision-maker or purchaser).
Quantity (viewing numbers) is one thing, but advertisers are massively concerned with quality as well, and boxing is rightly or wrongly seen as having a predominantly male, working-class following.
The perfect example is something like Big Brother, which at its peak had advertisers queuing up for slots and paying huge amounts for sponsorship because that youthful, urban demographic was seen as hugely desirable. The amount of money it generated was out of all proportion to its viewing figures.

[Chris W 1982]

Good point. Although i agree with everything ya sayin mate, its making me absolutely sick

[Deserter]

Good point. Although i agree with everything ya sayin mate, its making me absolutely sick

Me as well to be honest, though what's most frustrating is the way some of boxing's pain is needlessly self-inflicted by those who run the game.
Look at how well the Premiership has been marketed, both in the UK and around the world, and the result that has had on the type of money in the game. But in boxing there's no 'joined-up' thinking and a lot of 'old-school' mindsets.
It's insane that at a time where we have such a crop of established talent and incredible prospects coming through, we're further away than ever from mainstream success.