Sky puts a freeze on PPVs

[dondada]

I was quite happy paying for PPV if the bill was of good enough quality and worth while paying the extra. I hope this doesn't affect the boxing we get to see and the quality of bills don't go back to just a poor quality minor title fight and poor undercards.

Why would this happen though? What are 'the big fighters' going to do? Take up football? Pack it in?

[Josh1111]

I was quite happy paying for PPV if the bill was of good enough quality and worth while paying the extra. I hope this doesn't affect the boxing we get to see and the quality of bills don't go back to just a poor quality minor title fight and poor undercards.

Why would this happen though? What are 'the big fighters' going to do? Take up football? Pack it in?

Exactly Ian. It wont. The fights will still happen. A likely scenario is that sky give Hatton and Hearn more dates next year, Hennesey stays with channel 5 and greedy FW will do his own channel/move to primetime for bigger fights.

I think this is a great move personally and can only see it benefiting boxing

[whiskey]

I don't personally see this as good news myself.

Unless sky are going to pay more for regular shows, which I bet they won't.

Then again, if their PPV platform wasn't abused with greedy individuals wanting each and every one of us to pay £15.00 each to watch their poor value for money product ... then perhaps we wouldn't be in this predicament.

[Camcas]

I was quite happy paying for PPV if the bill was of good enough quality and worth while paying the extra. I hope this doesn't affect the boxing we get to see and the quality of bills don't go back to just a poor quality minor title fight and poor undercards.

Why would this happen though? What are 'the big fighters' going to do? Take up football? Pack it in?

Go to Primetime or to America there are other options available to them, promoters aren't going to put on packed shows because they just won;t get the money for them

[dewipowell]

I've never had an issue paying for PPV if the cards worth it. If I get PPV shows I'll stay in on a Saturday night to watch them because it's obviously bigger fights on PPV that are worth staying in for, and it's cheaper than a night out so I end up saving money whereas I normally record normal Saturday shows and watch them the morning after. Also, it really grinds on me when people go overboard criticising PPV because it's a hell of a lot cheaper to sit in your living room arm chair than spending a couple hundred and actually going to the show.

In theory PPV should work and make the big fights happen. But fighters have got greedier and wanted more so they've under-appreciated it and taken it for granted. The reason PPV has become devalued is because it hasn't been enough to make some big fights happen (Pacquiao-Mayweather and for a long time Haye-Klitschko) so it's filtered down to lower level fights, for example Haye-Harrison (who should never have been in there).

Now promoters are being asked to do more with less bargaining power. The only way brilliant shows like the Magnificent7 were able to be made was due to PPV. Now there's less money on the table to make good under-cards and instead we'll get more shows with just one good fight on it. I read further up this thread that now PPV is gone then fighters will take on tougher fights. I don't see that being the case at all. Now there's less there for them I think fighters are more likely to stay comfy, why risk more for less?

I don't mean to single anyone out but PPV wouldn't be being dropped if it wasn't for Haye-Harrison so not only has Harrison ruined terrestrial TV for boxing, he's severely damaged corporate TV too.

[Syntax Error]

Thank you David Haye for your horrendous run as Heavyweight Champion of the World. Something good has finally come of it.

Who'd have thought that?

David Haye is responsible for the culling of PPV boxing on SKY, but like you say, that is a good thing, so thankyou Mr Haye & God bless your little Right toe too!

PS: He & Harrison now share a bond: they both killed boxing on TV in the UK, although it was different arms of TV & somewhat ironically, they both contributed to the death of PPV boxing too.

[boxingchat]

I hope this doesn't affect the boxing we get to see and the quality of bills don't go back to just a poor quality minor title fight and poor undercards.

Yeah, because Benn versus Eubank was shit...oh wait...

Unfortuneatly that was an era when TV rights fees made such events sustainable and the crowd they drew was in excess of the TV money too which is not always the case. Sadly, now this is not the case and the simple problem is that TV fees are lower and purses are higher. You do the math!

Promoters, fighters, TV execs and the fans all want the big fights but the fact is it takes revenue to make them happen and happen easier. PPV is a fact of life if you want to see the big nights or TV subsidise the revenue themselves to make them happen. With others sports taking the bulk of their budgets they, I assume, aren't prepared to do that.

[stevek3lly]

I was quite happy paying for PPV if the bill was of good enough quality and worth while paying the extra. I hope this doesn't affect the boxing we get to see and the quality of bills don't go back to just a poor quality minor title fight and poor undercards.

Why would this happen though? What are 'the big fighters' going to do? Take up football? Pack it in?

Bit harsh Ian. I was not talking about fighters, its up to the promoters to put the better shows on. There have been too many poor shows on Sky cos they were raking the TV money.

[stevek3lly]

I hope this doesn't affect the boxing we get to see and the quality of bills don't go back to just a poor quality minor title fight and poor undercards.

Yeah, because Benn versus Eubank was shit...oh wait...

Unfortuneatly that was an era when TV rights fees made such events sustainable and the crowd they drew was in excess of the TV money too which is not always the case. Sadly, now this is not the case and the simple problem is that TV fees are lower and purses are higher. You do the math!

Promoters, fighters, TV execs and the fans all want the big fights but the fact is it takes revenue to make them happen and happen easier. PPV is a fact of life if you want to see the big nights or TV subsidise the revenue themselves to make them happen. With others sports taking the bulk of their budgets they, I assume, aren't prepared to do that.

Totally agree, I was talking the last 18 months when some shows have been pretty weak.

[JimJim2009]

PPV has successfully worked for boxing for many years, so Sky's decision is based on what's been happening recently in the UK.

Promotor's ego's pushed the DeGale vs Groves purse bids up to the 400k mark which meant it had to go onto PPV for the promoter to break even or profit. Had DeGale won, I'm sure that would have been the start of a run of DeGale-led PPV events. Thank god he lost. He has a very lucrative contract and was rumoured to have got a million quid to turn pro with a certain promoter, all of which has to be recouped from the paying fans. I recall his comments, when him and DeGale were winding each other up, months prior to their fight actually being agreed, and DeGale was saying something to the effect of, a purse of fifty grand is nothing to him, and he'd have to take a pay-cut in order to face Groves, etc. It was that sort of thing, I can't recall it word for word. Anyway, it was almost like a premiership footballer's salary, he seemed to be talking about his income, his earning potential etc (as opposed to Groves) in that kind of pay bracket - but DeGale participates in what has become, thanks in part to his promoter, a minority sport in this country. Boxingchat has just posted on this thread, lamenting to the effect that the days when ITV would pay mega money for live coverage of a fight are long gone. Who's to blame ? When all the top UK fighters (in that stable) went to Sky, they disappeared from the widespread coverage that terrestrial TV gets. Sky has poured millions and millions into the bank accounts of British promoters over the past 10 to 15 years and they've reduced the sport to a minority sport, and now Sky is saying no to PPV because they're sick of the selfish, selfs-serving attitudes of those who are able to headline, or stage, a PPV show.

I really, really hope Hennessey's Channel 5 venture takes off massively, and that a certain promoter is stuck with boxers like DeGale on fat contracts that he now can't honour without losing money. I know it might sound harsh but this situation is the flipside of the same coin he's been profiting from for years.

Well done Sky

[Finch]

Thank you David Haye for your horrendous run as Heavyweight Champion of the World. Something good has finally come of it.

David Haye fought Audley because he knew Audley would be a cash cow for him. He got it right. He can't be blamed for that.

The blame should lie with both Sky for trying to sell it as a 50/50 fight, when it knew damn well, just like any half hearted knowledgable boxing fan, that Haye would win easily, and those who bought the hype and believed it would be a competative fight.

As far as I'm concerned, Haye was blamless for this fight. He never once said it would be a great, tough fight. He said it would be an easy win and over quickly. He was right.

If someone offered you millions for a risk free fight, what would you do?

[freddydoesdallas]

Good news for everyone except the big stars of boxing as they won't be getting the huge money in. By staying on sky sports though they could increase sponsorship, sell out bigger venues and become names in the long run. If someone was to go and take a risk on ITV they could be even bigger

[Finn]

Thank you David Haye for your horrendous run as Heavyweight Champion of the World. Something good has finally come of it.

David Haye fought Audley because he knew Audley would be a cash cow for him. He got it right. He can't be blamed for that.

The blame should lie with both Sky for trying to sell it as a 50/50 fight, when it knew damn well, just like any half hearted knowledgable boxing fan, that Haye would win easily, and those who bought the hype and believed it would be a competative fight.

As far as I'm concerned, Haye was blamless for this fight. He never once said it would be a great, tough fight. He said it would be an easy win and over quickly. He was right.

If someone offered you millions for a risk free fight, what would you do?

agreed the problem was the undercard, PPV should be a mega fight proped up with some big draw fights not a big fight and couple of normal fights.

Khan v maidana plus the under card was billiant, noone complained about parting with £15 for that after the fight.

But mckloskey v khan with no undercard was a complete joke.

Well done mick for bringing boxing back to the masses. With the loss of cricket and F! along with football, free to air tv might decide to pick up alot more boxing.

[Finn]

Gotta feel sorry for Froch. Just when he thinks he is getting a break by getting onto Sky, they pull the plug on PPV.

I should imagine he was made aware of the situation first.

[leforge]

Gotta feel sorry for Froch. Just when he thinks he is getting a break by getting onto Sky, they pull the plug on PPV.

I should imagine he was made aware of the situation first.

Froch fight after ward if in uk might be!

[Final round]

They are only saying this because there are no 'PPV' worthy fights on the immediate horizon that would entice the casual punter into buying into it. If Floyd -Pac is suddenly made it will be PPV same with Haye - Vit.
Like Ian said maybe Primetime, Premier or other will pick up the slack..

[Finn]

They are only saying this because there are no 'PPV' worthy fights on the immediate horizon that would entice the casual punter into buying into it. If Floyd -Pac is suddenly made it will be PPV same with Haye - Vit.
Like Ian said maybe Primetime, Premier or other will pick up the slack..

I doubt Pac v Floyd would be PPV in the UK

[Final round]

They are only saying this because there are no 'PPV' worthy fights on the immediate horizon that would entice the casual punter into buying into it. If Floyd -Pac is suddenly made it will be PPV same with Haye - Vit.
Like Ian said maybe Primetime, Premier or other will pick up the slack..

I doubt Pac v Floyd would be PPV in the UK

I reckon it would Finn, they've had plenty of hype and exposure on Sky. If that isn't a PPV fight I don't know what is.

[smcb80]

if mayweather-ortiz is ppv here, a fight against manny certainly would.

just because sky aren't doing ppv doesn't mean they won't be on another channel.

sky get dog's abuse on here, sometimes rightly so, but adam smith is doing a great job i reckon. plenty of coverage and plenty of decent scraps on regular subscription.

[stujones]

Mayweather vs Pacquiao would be on Sky box office, make no mistake about it.

Many of Oscar's fights were on "normal" sky, but the Mayweather and Hopkins ones were not.... this fight would get the people on the street talk - as they did Harrison vs Haye..... which drew in big numbers.

If Hennessy is confident Fury can do a number on Audley - and I mean a number not a laboured points win - then Audley vs Fury is the very fight needed for terrestial tv. Like him or not, Audley consistently draws in big ratings. People complain after, but they still regularly watch.

Harrison vs Haye drew massive PPV figures, Harrison vs Williams scored 11 million viewers on ITV. People do not tire of seeing Audley lose, but he must get sparked.

[TheCobra]

"But the final nail in the boxing PPV coffin simply had to be David Haye's dreadful effort against Wladimir Klitschko in Hamburg last month. Once again, the public were sold something which simply didn't happen which, ultimately, TV executives at Sky feel reflects poorly on their company."

This is the most telling and important point. Alll these non-event PPVs are making Sky themselves look like robbing pricks, when half the money is going to the boxers and promoters. David Haye as a lot to answer for tbh! No-one moaned when Ricky Hatton fights were PPV, did he ever NOT give us value for money? Did he ever NOT give 100% and go all out to win a fight, even when everything was going against him?

[stujones]

There might be a better financial insentive for Carl should he be on PPV.... but in terms of exposure then no it won't be better, surely it would be better to stay on normal sky sports - just hope for the adverts.

Part of the Haye at heavyweight appeal was the "is this the one" angle. Is he the one to spark some life into the most historical devision for the greatest prize in the sport. The fact there are no stars at heavyweight is what sparked the audience.... plus his world title fight against the giant capture the imagination. Had Ruiz been champion and he faced him first of all, it wouldn't have been so good.

[elephant man]

With Mayweather - Ortiz being on Primetime I can see more promoters jumping ship and going to Primetime sadly

[leforge]

With Mayweather - Ortiz being on Primetime I can see more promoters jumping ship and going to Primetime sadly

I bet this does not sell more than 50,000 buys!

[leforge]

Also is allegedly leaving sky?