Rights/ownership of fights

[azzman]

With all the different players involved in a boxing promotion, who actually owns the rights to fight footage for re-runs & DVDs?

Always thought it would be great to have a boxer's entire career in a DVD box set with interviews, documentaries, comentaries but I assume the rights to footage is owned by numerous promoters and TV companies. Do the boxers themselves have any rights to their fights?

[mickey1975]

With all the different players involved in a boxing promotion, who actually owns the rights to fight footage for re-runs & DVDs?

Always thought it would be great to have a boxer's entire career in a DVD box set with interviews, documentaries, comentaries but I assume the rights to footage is owned by numerous promoters and TV companies. Do the boxers themselves have any rights to their fights?

It's not hard to get career sets, mate...

[kamicazze]

I think he means more in retail terms. I know Eddie Hearn is likely missing out with the Best bits of the Cobra DVD that could be done however a couple of Froch's big wins. Magee, Reid, Pascal, Taylor, and Dirrell were under Hennessy. If you look at Warren he released DVD's of Hatton up to the Tszyu fight, and Nasseem up until 98. Calzaghe and Hatton spotted the money making potential and released Dvd's of their stand alone fights

[palooka]

What happens if someone records the bouts at a televised show (undercard mostly) and with the permission/knowledge of the promoter? Do the TV company televising own the rights? Where does that leave the fellow with the camera?

[azzman]

I was not suggesting this for stats, I was thinking of being able to buy and watch a DVD box set of all of your favourite boxer's in full. At present, there's only youtube, home recordings or the DVD of the more popular fights. Multiple ownership of a boxer's fights seems to be hinder this concept and remove a potential income stream for the boxers themselves, particularly post career.

[mickey1975]

I was not suggesting this for stats, I was thinking of being able to buy and watch a DVD box set of all of your favourite boxer's in full. At present, there's only youtube, home recordings or the DVD of the more popular fights. Multiple ownership of a boxer's fights seems to be hinder this concept and remove a potential income stream for the boxers themselves, particularly post career.

And I was being sarcastic... Have a look mate, they are readily available.

[azzman]

Maybe they are available as home recordings crudely put onto DVD and sold on ebay but they are not commercially available as professionally produced DVDs on amazon for example. But the question is, who owns the rights? Promoters? TV? Fighters?

[Darcy Delaney]

I was not suggesting this for stats, I was thinking of being able to buy and watch a DVD box set of all of your favourite boxer's in full. At present, there's only youtube, home recordings or the DVD of the more popular fights. Multiple ownership of a boxer's fights seems to be hinder this concept and remove a potential income stream for the boxers themselves, particularly post career.

i spoke to eurosport and the bbc about getting fights on a disc they told me that the promoter owns the rights to any film of the shows so you might have to contact different promoters as some fighters box on different promotions

[orbtastic]

...and that is why FW showed a load of old SKY & ITV shows of his promotions on his Channel when it first started.

[ERIC GUY]

I own the video rights for all the shows I filmed, so I can , in theory sell them to a company to make Boxing DVDs, I have filmed Pro shows since 1987. Barrett, Duff, Hearn, Maloney, Warren, all them shows, with all the undercards that no one ever sees,
I have Lennox's fight with Steve Garber that was never televised!! ohh so many shows!!! I forget how many,

[John]

The promoter owns all the rights and will sign a contract to lease them to the TV. This typically would include the live/delayed broadcast and promotional use of clips for a further stated period of time. The TV will hand/send a copy of all footage broadcast or otherwise to the promoter. Of course I have no idea what contracts Eric has with the promoters but I am a little surprised that they allow for further resale of the rights, are you sure about that Eric ?

[orbtastic]

Let's be honest though, what are you going to choose to watch, given the choice a professionally produced fight with replays, commentary, multiple angles/views and slow motion etc, or a hand-held from one POV.

Granted, there's certainly a market for what Eric does/has, particularly the ama fights and early career fights tucked away on undercards that rarely get broadcast.

Does anyone really want to watch Lewis/Garber? It's hardly up there with Graziano/Zale I/II & footage of Greb.

[Parson Cross]

Eric filmed it, used his own equipment he owns it end of.

[John]

Eric filmed it, used his own equipment he owns it end of.

Nope, far from it, do you really think if you stood in the crowd at a football match and filmed the game using your own equipment then you have the rights to sell that footage to TV ? or filmed a rock concert from the audience you can release a DVD of the show ? The promoter owns all the rights, broadcast, reproduction, image whatever and only he can sell, lease or license them.

[Parson Cross]

That's not even a comparison. Eric was invited by the Promotor wasn't hiding in the crowd doing the filming. His equipment, his footage end of.

[The Law]

That's not even a comparison. Eric was invited by the Promotor wasn't hiding in the crowd doing the filming. His equipment, his footage end of.

Being invited by a promoter to film a show for him does not necessarily mean the promoter gives you the right to resell the footage. If Eric had a clause in his contract allowing him to resell the footage then that's different. A gentleman's non-contractual agreement or an assumption rarely stands up in court.

Eric is on friendly terms with the promoters in question but if they fell out and there was no contract in place then they could potentially sue him in court.

[John]

That's not even a comparison. Eric was invited by the Promotor wasn't hiding in the crowd doing the filming. His equipment, his footage end of.

A verbal invitation is not a rights contract, end of.

[Parson Cross]

So why has no one sued Eric's pants off ?
The man's told you. He owns the rights.

[The Insider]

I also was under the impression that the promoter owns the footage too. It's not beyong the realms that Eric pays the promoter a levy to keep and do as he pleases with the footage he films.

[palooka]

If Eric is friends with the promoters then why would they sue him? It's only when a relationship breaks down that people go to the lawyers, if it's worked for both parties for this long then both parties must be happy with it; there are lots of working relationships not 'covered' by contracts.

[orbtastic]

They would only sue him if they didn't like what he was doing (or breached whatever terms of whatever "contract" they have).

I suspect none of the promoters really care that he's selling Groves/DeGale as ams or Lewis/Garber.

[palooka]

They would only sue him if they didn't like what he was doing (or breached whatever terms of whatever "contract" they have).

I suspect none of the promoters really care that he's selling Groves/DeGale as ams or Lewis/Garber.

exactly he may not own the rights but so what, if he's built a business around relationships with promoters etc rather than having a contract, good for him.

[orbtastic]

Yeah, from the photos he's posted over the years and seeing his photos in BN and BM he's a scene stalwart.

I think most [boxing fans] would envy his career/job.

[Darcy Delaney]

They would only sue him if they didn't like what he was doing (or breached whatever terms of whatever "contract" they have).

I suspect none of the promoters really care that he's selling Groves/DeGale as ams or Lewis/Garber.

exactly he may not own the rights but so what, if he's built a business around relationships with promoters etc rather than having a contract, good for him.

i think some of the promoters could take a leaf out of eric's book

[palooka]

They would only sue him if they didn't like what he was doing (or breached whatever terms of whatever "contract" they have).

I suspect none of the promoters really care that he's selling Groves/DeGale as ams or Lewis/Garber.

exactly he may not own the rights but so what, if he's built a business around relationships with promoters etc rather than having a contract, good for him.

i think some of the promoters could take a leaf out of eric's book

I second that Darcy the sport we enjoy (and some love) would be better for it.