De La Hoya: I won’t do a deal with Arum or Hearn for Canelo

[Ruthless-RKO]

Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya will reportedly take his time in shopping an outlet for Canelo Alvarez’s next fight against Rocky Fielding, according to an ESPN report. Alvarez, who has fought exclusively on HBO for the past few years, has essentially completed his contract with the network (although HBO still holds an option on Canelo’s next bout). But with HBO fleeing the boxing scene, it’s probably unlikely they match Canelo’s best offer.

So in the meantime De La Hoya says he’ll continue to take offers until he meets with HBO executives in the coming weeks. But in response to offers from Bob Arum and Eddie Hearn, who both have affiliated platforms — ESPN and DAZN, respectively — De La Hoya says that he will not be entertaining any co-promotional pitches.

“We understand we have a contract [option] with HBO but we’ve been approached by many platforms. Everyone wants to televise Canelo’s next fight, whether it’s on a digital platform or linear TV. And contrary to reports that are circulating, under no circumstances will we co-promote Canelo. Golden Boy is his promoter and we will continue to work to get Canelo the best deal possible.”

“I won’t do a deal with Bob Arum or a deal with Eddie Hearn for Canelo,” De La Hoya said. “I’m going to go directly to the [platform] and make a deal. I don’t need another promoter. We are the promoter of the biggest star on the planet.”

Yet with Canelo-Fielding having already been announced for Dec. 15, De La Hoya will probably want to iron out Canelo’s platform situation as quickly as possible. He says he’ll be making a big announcement within a few weeks.

[Enlightened-One]

GBP already has a working relationship with ESPN that doesn’t involve Bob Arum. So that is the most likely route Oscar De La Hoya would take.

I doubt that GBP would be able to promote events televised by DAZN and Sky Sports without Matchroom’s involvement somehow. Oscar clearly doesn't want Eddie Hearn involved in the promotion of GBP's events.

Stephen Espinoza’s Showtime may be willing to do business with GBP (perhaps exclusively for the broadcast rights to Canelo’s bouts), but Oscar is looking for a platform for his entire stable, which means pitting his fight cards against the PBC’s and I doubt that there’s sufficient budget to fund events for both boxing content providers on the same network.

GBP may also attempt to negotiate with the NBC, as that network is apparently in the midst of finalising a deal with Kathy Duva’s Main Events’.

[tiny_acres]

Golden boy just doesn't have a large/Good enough stable for a network to use them exclusively.
Beyond Canelo they have very little

[Ruthless-RKO]

GBP already has a working relationship with ESPN that doesn’t involve Bob Arum. So that is the most likely route Oscar De La Hoya would take.

I doubt that GBP would be able to promote events televised by DAZN and Sky Sports without Matchroom’s involvement somehow. Oscar clearly doesn't want Eddie Hearn involved in the promotion of GBP's events.

Stephen Espinoza’s Showtime may be willing to do business with GBP (perhaps exclusively for the broadcast rights to Canelo’s bouts), but Oscar is looking for a platform for his entire stable, which means pitting his fight cards against the PBC’s and I doubt that there’s sufficient budget to fund events for both boxing content providers on the same network.

GBP may also attempt to negotiate with the NBC, as that network is apparently in the midst of finalising a deal with Kathy Duva’s Main Events’.

Yeh, you're right about him working with DAZN would have to include Hearn..

You're right that he already has a working relationship with ESPN..

With the whole NBC thing.. What's the deal? Is it CBS that own NBC, who also own Showtime?

[dickbelden]

GBP already has a working relationship with ESPN that doesn’t involve Bob Arum. So that is the most likely route Oscar De La Hoya would take.

I doubt that GBP would be able to promote events televised by DAZN and Sky Sports without Matchroom’s involvement somehow. Oscar clearly doesn't want Eddie Hearn involved in the promotion of GBP's events.

Stephen Espinoza’s Showtime may be willing to do business with GBP (perhaps exclusively for the broadcast rights to Canelo’s bouts), but Oscar is looking for a platform for his entire stable, which means pitting his fight cards against the PBC’s and I doubt that there’s sufficient budget to fund events for both boxing content providers on the same network.

GBP may also attempt to negotiate with the NBC, as that network is apparently in the midst of finalising a deal with Kathy Duva’s Main Events’.

Yeh, you're right about him working with DAZN would have to include Hearn..

You're right that he already has a working relationship with ESPN..

With the whole NBC thing.. What's the deal? Is it CBS that own NBC, who also own Showtime?

COMCAST owns NBC. CBS owns SHOWTIME.

[Ruthless-RKO]

COMCAST owns NBC. CBS owns SHOWTIME.

Thanks

[Enlightened-One]

With the whole NBC thing.. What's the deal?

"NBC finalizing broadcast deal with Main Events, sources say" (Source: Dan Rafael - ESPN)

As HBO prepares to end a 45-year run of televising boxing in December, NBC is preparing to finalize a deal that will bring Main Events fights back to the network, sources with knowledge of the deal told ESPN.

If the deal is completed, NBC would join several other broadcasters who are paying rights fees to televise boxing matches. If the deal is finalized, it would mean at least a two-year deal for roughly seven shows per year with rights fees in the low six-figures per card, according to the sources. The kickoff show is being contemplated for Dec. 29 on NBC in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with subsequent shows ticketed for NBC Sports Net.

NBC Sports Net's Main Events deal with boxing began in January 2012 and expired in December 2014. A series of PBC fights were then aired from March 2015 until August 2016, and no boxing has been televised on NBC since.

Sergey Kovalev and Bryant Jennings both developed on that platform. A series of PBC fights were then aired from March 2015 until August 2016, and no boxing has been televised on NBC since.

Rumors had swirled recently that Main Events and NBC were in talks again, but on Friday, Main Events CEO Kathy Duva declined comment to ESPN. An NBC spokesman did not immediately return ESPN's message seeking comment.

[Enlightened-One]

With the whole NBC thing.. What's the deal?

"NBC finalizing broadcast deal with Main Events, sources say" (Source: Dan Rafael - ESPN)

As HBO prepares to end a 45-year run of televising boxing in December, NBC is preparing to finalize a deal that will bring Main Events fights back to the network, sources with knowledge of the deal told ESPN.

If the deal is completed, NBC would join several other broadcasters who are paying rights fees to televise boxing matches. If the deal is finalized, it would mean at least a two-year deal for roughly seven shows per year with rights fees in the low six-figures per card, according to the sources. The kickoff show is being contemplated for Dec. 29 on NBC in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with subsequent shows ticketed for NBC Sports Net.

NBC Sports Net's Main Events deal with boxing began in January 2012 and expired in December 2014. A series of PBC fights were then aired from March 2015 until August 2016, and no boxing has been televised on NBC since.

Sergey Kovalev and Bryant Jennings both developed on that platform. A series of PBC fights were then aired from March 2015 until August 2016, and no boxing has been televised on NBC since.

Rumors had swirled recently that Main Events and NBC were in talks again, but on Friday, Main Events CEO Kathy Duva declined comment to ESPN. An NBC spokesman did not immediately return ESPN's message seeking comment.

"Main Events’ proposed multiyear television deal with NBC Sports scuttled"

Main Events hoped to complete a television rights deal with NBC Sports, but multiple sources with knowledge of the talks told The Ring that the potential partnership is no longer being discussed.

ESPN reported in October that the deal was in the process of being finalized. The negotiations hit a roadblock when a third party, a site in Atlantic City, New Jersey, that was set to stage fights broadcast on both NBC and NBC Sports Net, withdrew financial support.

Main Events CEO Kathy Duva didn’t return a phone call and text message seeking comment.

NBC Sports was set to dole out low six-figure license fees for fights promoted by Main Events, the New Jersey-based promotional company. The proposed relationship called for approximately seven fights a year over the span of two years.

A press conference to formally announce the deal was scheduled for mid-November in New York, per sources, but never took place. NBC hasn’t televised boxing since August 2016 following a brief stint with Premier Boxing Champions.

Main Events formerly televised fights on NBC Sports. That deal began in January 2012 and ran through December 2014. The series introduced audiences to Sergey Kovalev, the light heavyweight champion who became a fixture in the sport on HBO. Heavyweight contender Bryant Jennings also was featured prominently.

Main Events’ roster has thinned out since that deal expired, with Kovalev the lone remaining notable fighter in the stable. And even he’s on the downside of his career at 35 following an upset knockout loss to Eleider Alvarez in July on HBO.

The fighters are set to rematch February 2 on ESPN, and it’s unclear where Main Events goes from there.

Could this new development spell the end for Kathy Duva's Main Events?

[Ruthless-RKO]

They can’t do a deal with ESPN? Unless their events are co-promoted by Top Rank.

They should do a deal with Showtime.. PBC look to be airing more on FOX next year..

What else is there?

[Enlightened-One]

They can’t do a deal with ESPN? Unless their events are co-promoted by Top Rank.

They should do a deal with Showtime.. PBC look to be airing more on FOX next year..

What else is there?

The problem that Main Events has to deal with is their CEO, Kathy Duva, because she has a penchant to file lawsuits rather than negotiate or agree compromises. Her actions may achieve “something” in the short-term, but in the long-run they’re ultimately self-harming, as they only serve to burn bridges.

At some point or other, she’s filed lawsuits against Oscar De La Hoya’s GBP, Richard Schaefer, Al Haymon, Yvon Michel, Stephen Espinoza and Showtime. She’s even been involved in lawsuits with her own brother-in-law, over the control of Main Events.

She fell also out with Bob Arum and stopped talking to him for eight years, filed a lawsuit against Top Rank and her relationship was said to have been severely strained with the villainous Don King.

So if Kathy Duva wants to engage in co-promotions or work with TV networks like ESPN, DAZN, Showtime etc., she’ll need to accept that she’s on the B-side of negotiations and go cap-in-hand to the likes of De La Hoya, Arum & Haymon to beg for their assistance and co-operation to help save her company.

Apart from the soon-to-be-retired Sergey Kovalev, Main Events don’t have any notable names in their stable, so it carries very little influence in the sport. It’s not as if Showtime, ESPN or DAZN would be missing out on any massive opportunities to generate lots of money by working with Kathy Duva’s roster.

Put it this way, if somebody has previously treated me like sh¡t and there are no logical business reasons to work with them, I’m not sure if I’d even bother answering their phone calls.

If Sergey Kovalev loses his next bout, Main Events become new members of the “who needs you” club and will either probably cease to exist or become completely irrelevant, because their roster will look to join other promoters.

[tiny_acres]

DeLaHoya is signing his companies death warrant. Excluding Canelo he has nothing.
No network will sign an exclusive deal with Oscar.
His pride will be his downfall. He needs to copromote until he can rebuild his stable. And money will run thin when you expect 1 fighter to financially back an entire stable.
If something happens to Canelo Oscar is screwed

[Onetimeonly]

They can’t do a deal with ESPN? Unless their events are co-promoted by Top Rank.

They should do a deal with Showtime.. PBC look to be airing more on FOX next year..

What else is there?

ESPN is exclusive to tr fights. Main events has a small roster and needs a small outlet.

[Stuarty]

If it wasn't for Canelo Oscar would be sucking off truckers for his Charlie money

[tiny_acres]

If it wasn't for Canelo Oscar would be sucking off truckers for his Charlie money

I've been saying it for years. Oscar is destined to fail

[Stuarty]

If it wasn't for Canelo Oscar would be sucking off truckers for his Charlie money

I've been saying it for years. Oscar is destined to fail

Loved him as a fighter but he comes across a right prick of a man.....

[Enlightened-One]

If it wasn't for Canelo Oscar would be sucking off truckers for his Charlie money

I've been saying it for years. Oscar is destined to fail

Oscar De La Hoya not only earned hundreds of millions of dollars from his fighting career, he also received a substantial pay-out from Al Haymon (for the acquisition of GBP’s biggest stars), he makes a lot of money from Canelo and GBP also have their own (separate to the Canelo) deal with DAZN. He’ll be rich for the remainder of his life.

To be fair, it was Richard Schaefer and Al Haymon that made GBP a commercial success, whilst De La Hoya was merely a figurehead. However, it’s now an established business and Eric Gomez seems to be a good guy and is controlling the day-to-day operations. I can't see GBP failing anytime soon.

I can’t say the same about Kathy Duva’s Main Events though.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Oscar De La Hoya not only earned hundreds of millions of dollars from his fighting career, he also received a substantial pay-out from Al Haymon (for the acquisition of GBP’s biggest stars), he makes a lot of money from Canelo and GBP also have their own (separate to the Canelo) deal with DAZN. He’ll be rich for the remainder of his life.

To be fair, it was Richard Schaefer and Al Haymon that made GBP a commercial success, whilst De La Hoya was merely a figurehead. However, it’s now an established business and Eric Gomez seems to be a good guy and is controlling the day-to-day operations. I can't see GBP failing anytime soon.

Has GBP still got their side deal with ESPN & Deportes for their low profile cards?

Or will they now be featured on DAZN?

I do think ESPN allows more exposure.

[Enlightened-One]

Oscar De La Hoya not only earned hundreds of millions of dollars from his fighting career, he also received a substantial pay-out from Al Haymon (for the acquisition of GBP’s biggest stars), he makes a lot of money from Canelo and GBP also have their own (separate to the Canelo) deal with DAZN. He’ll be rich for the remainder of his life.

To be fair, it was Richard Schaefer and Al Haymon that made GBP a commercial success, whilst De La Hoya was merely a figurehead. However, it’s now an established business and Eric Gomez seems to be a good guy and is controlling the day-to-day operations. I can't see GBP failing anytime soon.

Has GBP still got their side deal with ESPN & Deportes for their low profile cards?

Or will they now be featured on DAZN?

I do think ESPN allows more exposure.

GBP still has a deal with ESPN. I don't know if it will be allowed to expire or whether they will seek to extend it.

At the moment, ESPN will definitely grant GBP's smaller names more exposure than DAZN, but we have to assume the subscribers for the streaming service will inevitably grow, because it's so damn cheap and offers a lot of sport. So who knows? Maybe DAZN will overtake ESPN in a few years time,

[Onetimeonly]

No, GBP is dazn now. You're right, ESPN does Warren's cards and kovalev/Alvarez doesn't involve arum. Main events still doesn't have a stable to get guaranteed dates on that kind of platform. The UFC is coming to ESPN next month too.

[Ruthless-RKO]

No, GBP is dazn now. You're right, ESPN does Warren's cards and kovalev/Alvarez doesn't involve arum. Main events still doesn't have a stable to get guaranteed dates on that kind of platform. The UFC is coming to ESPN next month too.

Top Rank are co-promoting it. TR and ESPN have an exclusive deal.

Main Event's made a deal to broadcast that fight through Arum.

[Enlightened-One]

No, GBP is dazn now. You're right, ESPN does Warren's cards and kovalev/Alvarez doesn't involve arum. Main events still doesn't have a stable to get guaranteed dates on that kind of platform. The UFC is coming to ESPN next month too.

DAZN is only going to be staging 10 Golden Boy-promoted fight cards per year. GBP isn’t exclusively tied to that network.

GBP previously had multi-year deals to provide boxing content to both HBO and ESPN. We now know that HBO are no longer covering the sport of boxing.

So, in addition to the GBP events televised by HBO, Golden Boy had also signed a two-year deal at the start of 2017 to provide 42 events for ESPN, with an option for a third year. The third year would be 2019.

I don’t know if GBP would be willing to extend their contract with ESPN or if it will allow it to expire. However, if it reduced the amount shows to ten events per year, then that’d have a huge impact on their business, as it would result in a significant reduction in the amount of events they promote annually.

As far as I’m concerned, GBP’s deal with DAZN only relates to their biggest stars (as per the HBO contract). So I could be wrong, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Oscar tries to exploit the option for the third-year of the deal he made with ESPN.

I haven’t read any news about GBP and ESPN allowing their deal to expire, unless you can provide some?

I know for certain that Golden Boy are definitely involved in the co-promotion of some of Top Rank’s events during 2019, but I don’t know if these are outside the scope of GBP’s own deal with ESPN, as they could simply be a case of Bob Arum borrowing some of Oscar's fighters.

[Onetimeonly]

No, GBP is dazn now. You're right, ESPN does Warren's cards and kovalev/Alvarez doesn't involve arum. Main events still doesn't have a stable to get guaranteed dates on that kind of platform. The UFC is coming to ESPN next month too.

Top Rank are co-promoting it. TR and ESPN have an exclusive deal.

Main Event's made a deal to broadcast that fight through Arum.

I should know better than to question myself. Especially if eo disagrees.

[walter5]

Golden Boy is done with ESPN. The option for the last year wasn't picked up. Their last show was last month.

I believe Golden Boy still has their Facebook dates with Main Events that they could turn into a development series. That deal called for a minimum of five fight cards and I have no idea what number they're on right now.

Right now their DAZN deal gives them the ability to keep all of their prospects busy. Look at the sheer amount of rounds scheduled for the Canelo card on Saturday night. At last check it was over 100. I get that it's great for promotions and die hard fans to be able to have these maxed out cards, but how much exposure are you getting a prospect when they're buried on a 5 hour card? Hearn is going to have the same problem.

[adislav123]

Same exposure as on every other card. People not interested in boxing but seeing their "star" looking good topless smashing somebody to bits, won't watch it, wherever it takes place. It's out there so everybody interested is able to watch the fights.

What i absolutely don't get is dazn not showing the whole fornicating event from start to finish but tuning in at some random point like 2 fights before main, that's a fornicating shame.

A rightaway disgrace and absolutely unbearable is the fact that on german/germanspeaking dazn there is no option to get the original english commentary at all.

Instead one is forced to endure listening to a couple of imbeciles letting off cringeworthy, really embarrasing even to witness and so absolutely terrible uninformed shit that it's not even the slightest funny or worthy to make one single joke about it but 100 percent, utter pointless, i will say it again: SHITE!!

one can't even turn off the "commentary".

And i choose my words favourably and kindly cause those guys are obviously so ill prepared & have no clue what the hell they are talking that i really feel bad for them.

It's absolutely unbelievable & unexplainable why the do that, how is it in other countries?

[gilgamesh]

I'm not surprised. Canelo is his one and only real money maker. Golden Boy promotions probably won't survive the next decade unless something changes for them in a major way.