Do ITV want boxing to succeed?

[doctorboxing]

Despite the more than decent viewing figures for Big fight live on ITV4, ITV dropped boxing from their schedules. Now, they have the Amir Khan's debut in America against a very decent opponent live on their channel and they are doing absolutely bugger all to advertise it. Its on the SKY planner for ITV so it is most definitely confirmed but not a mention of it on the ITV sport website and no adverts on TV whatsoever. If it was on SKY we would be being bombarded with advertisements and there would be a much bigger sense of excitement for what its a pretty big fight.

Do ITV want this to bomb for some reason I can't understand or is its just incompetence on their part?

[Asterix]

http://www.itv.com/Sport/

At the bottom, which links through to this: http://www.itv.com/sport/boxing/news/wa ... fault.html

[Chris W 1982]

You sound surprised Doctor.

Boxing on terrestrial TV will never succeed unless one of the 5 channels get a proper boxing person onboard to run their schedule. There's so much one could learn by just visiting this forum but they choose to ignore the passionate supporters who know what works and what doesnt.

There's another thread running regarding the disgusting decision not to screen this Friday's ABA final's on BBC, here was the perfect opportunity for ITV to demonstrate their support by screening the prestigious event and they also could have used it to plug Khan's title defence against Paulie Malignaggi.

Pathetic

[dondada]

I thought they would have been promoting it from last week. Weird. It's a bit of a coup for them, really. I don't get it.

[chrisfinch]

I thought they would have been promoting it from last week. Weird. It's a bit of a coup for them, really. I don't get it.

Well if rumours are to be believed, they got it for free, so it's not much of a coup for them.

Put it this way, I can't imagine them spending money on this fight and then not advertising it.

[dondada]

I thought they would have been promoting it from last week. Weird. It's a bit of a coup for them, really. I don't get it.

Well if rumours are to be believed, they got it for free, so it's not much of a coup for them.

What I meant was, it's a coup for them to have the fight at all, regardless of how much they paid, or didn't.

It's live, from the States, no one else is showing it over here, it's free to air and features a British household name (well sort of) defending his 'world' title.

The fact that they aren't pushing it means they might not be putting a huge amount of investment into the production side...so don't really want to crow about it in case it doesn't cut the mustard in this respect.

[ourkid1984]

From what I remember from previous ITV boxing programmes they would normally really push the advertising in the final few days before the fight, maybe an idea for people not to get too bored about hearing about it and by looking at the figures of their boxing shows it seems to work. Maybe this is their stategy.

[JDC]

Can't imagine Goldenoboy will be very happy with the way ITV are running this.

[jizzle]

It's on at 4 in the morning. It's hardly going to break records. I'd only expect a major push by itv for the delayed showing if the fight really kicks off.

[jizzle]

To be fair to ITV, they have been in the TV game long enough to know when to promote something and how. They understand their viewers' far better than you lot do.

innit

[twenty six]

The brutal honesty is no one in the UK wanted this fight.
Golden Boy ended up giving it away to ITV.
There isn't a prayer of ITV investing a shilling in boxing - be it prime time or 4.00 am.

[Finn]

I cant see why they would put the fight on if they didnt want it - first they will have khan doing the odd chat show then the teaser trailers will start - it will be in the tv mags and then they will start heavy advertising towards the end of the week my guess would be during the FA cup final on saturday they'll have the football pundits mention it.

If ITV are trying to get the most money out of the boxing they're not going to blow the money on advertising when they dont need to.

[chiggsy]

I think this will end in a similiar way to when lewis fought rahman on the bbc,a one off.

[n1ebf]

To be fair to ITV, they have been in the TV game long enough to know when to promote something and how. They understand their viewers' far better than you lot do.

innit

i agree with that. For each Boxrec enthusiast, spread out, around the country, or even boxing fan, you'd probably have to walk 10 miles to find the next one, and that leaves a lot of Corrie fans inbetween.

Also, I really don't see ITV making a big push to promote an event going off at 4am....(each second of airspace for commercials can be sold for a LOT of money)......(although I though New York fights kicked off a couple of hours earlier than Vegas fights , but even so, still very late into the night.

At least on Sky Sports, by virtue of the fact you're a subscriber, they already know that they are directing their advertising at what are sports fans, so possibly boxing fans. ITV aren't gonna ram a minority sport down the man or woman in the street's throat unless it's going off PrimeTime.

[dondada]

ITV aren't gonna ram a minority sport down the man or woman in the street's throat unless it's going off PrimeTime.

I don't think anyone expects it to be hyped. But I'd have thought they would let people know, seeing as they have it anyway.

But as Macho says, I'm sure they know what they're doing.

[Jesus]

kahn is obviously gonna go back to sky sports after this fight so why would itv advertise a fighter for another channel? i just bloody wish someone like channel 5 who show crap 99% of the time would just take a punt and show some boxing because lets face it they aint got much else going for them especially sports wise (europa league ahem ahem). but unfortunately all i can see in the near future is us boxing fans getting taken for every penny these guys can get out of us!

[winkveron]

The problem is, it's nearly impossible to get casual fans interested to the idea of staying up until 3-5am to watch a fight. Even I struggle sometimes. So the numpties that ITV normally caters for are going to be too tired after watching a Corrie omnibus, an evening with Cilla Black and Britain's got talent or whatever other crap they have been watching to stay up for this.

It's good for us that it is free to air and I'll be Sky plussing it, but I doubt it'll lead to ITV's resurgence in boxing.

[banjo]

The problem has already been addressed on here, at that time on a sunday morning the vast majority of people will either be out on the piss or in bed. Some people may well point out that Ricky Hatton gets good viewing figures at those sort of times but Khan is no Hatton, never has been and never will be. Sure maybe a decent advertising campaign can bump up the viewing figures a bit but I doubt it would make much difference.

[MightyWarrior]

ITV haven't got a clue, just look at the crap they fill their schedules with, they deserve to lose money hand over fist.

All they need to do is to run a couple of prime time ads, dress up the fight as "The Fight Of The Century" with eye popping graphics and some highly dramatic music, make it look like "Olympic Super Hero" Khan is taking on Mike Tyson, go with a Britain v USA angle and then give the impression that the Sunday ( repeat ) mid-day show is possibly live ( ie don't mention it's not ) and you'll no doubt hook a few million casual fans in the process/
.

[jizzle]

ITV haven't got a clue, just look at the crap they fill their schedules with, they deserve to lose money hand over fist.

All they need to do is to run a couple of prime time ads, dress up the fight as "The Fight Of The Century" with eye popping graphics and some highly dramatic music, make it look like "Olympic Super Hero" Khan is taking on Mike Tyson, go with a Britain v USA angle and then give the impression that the Sunday ( repeat ) mid-day show is possibly live ( ie don't mention it's not ) and you'll no doubt hook a few million casual fans in the process/
.

Send them your CV I'm sure they'll rip their right arm off to offer you a job.

[hitman_hatton1]

not actually seen an advert for it yet.

i assume they'll plug it during the cup final.