coghaugen11 wrote: ↑11 Mar 2021, 12:22
Khan was a national hero after the Olympics.
Sad really. He’s looked at a bit of a joke now.
I disagree. I think he's moving or has already moved into the elder statesman category and people are aware that he's not the fighter he was and is in the home straight of his career now - surely that doesn't mean he's regarded as a joke now. Boxing fans, whether they like him or not, can see that he's had a very successful career, got the best out of himself and challenged the very best while giving the public great entertainment.
In 20 years time people will look back fondly on his career
Spectacular knockouts are always popular. Groves couldn't be categorised as "not liked" but no doubt the Froch KO was big in the world of social media.
If you measure how liked a fighter is by his tv audience figures and ticket buyers then Khan must be amongst the most liked British boxers
Frostieballs wrote: ↑11 Mar 2021, 12:14
I think it could be successful if a major broadcaster properly invested in a set of fighters.
In the past, shows have been thrown into late night slots with little build up. All the terrestrial broadcasters are guilty of that.
People like a story. If told regularly and with the right fighters (not necessarily elite fighters) it could have its day again.
One of the major issues is that established broadcasters are reluctant to invest in a very political sport that at times can appear shady.
It’s a tricky sport to run on Live TV. Take FW’s show recently on BT - what would have happened if that had been on ITV? It would have been a massive failure for them and ITV would be pissed off with either really low viewing figures or having to change their schedule late in the day.
It’s tricky to manage timings (all fights go the distance, I think back to that show from FW where the main event started at something like 12.30pm, or they all end early) and it’s tricky to manage sponsors/adverts.
Frostieballs wrote: ↑11 Mar 2021, 12:14
I think it could be successful if a major broadcaster properly invested in a set of fighters.
In the past, shows have been thrown into late night slots with little build up. All the terrestrial broadcasters are guilty of that.
People like a story. If told regularly and with the right fighters (not necessarily elite fighters) it could have its day again.
One of the major issues is that established broadcasters are reluctant to invest in a very political sport that at times can appear shady.
It’s a tricky sport to run on Live TV. Take FW’s show recently on BT - what would have happened if that had been on ITV? It would have been a massive failure for them and ITV would be pissed off with either really low viewing figures or having to change their schedule late in the day.
It’s tricky to manage timings (all fights go the distance, I think back to that show from FW where the main event started at something like 12.30pm, or they all end early) and it’s tricky to manage sponsors/adverts.
There are many reasons why boxing isn’t on terrestrial, but I don’t think that’s one.
It was never an issue in the 80’s and 90’s.
The biggest impact of that always used to be on the audience at the venue.
Frostieballs wrote: ↑11 Mar 2021, 12:14
I think it could be successful if a major broadcaster properly invested in a set of fighters.
In the past, shows have been thrown into late night slots with little build up. All the terrestrial broadcasters are guilty of that.
People like a story. If told regularly and with the right fighters (not necessarily elite fighters) it could have its day again.
One of the major issues is that established broadcasters are reluctant to invest in a very political sport that at times can appear shady.
It’s a tricky sport to run on Live TV. Take FW’s show recently on BT - what would have happened if that had been on ITV? It would have been a massive failure for them and ITV would be pissed off with either really low viewing figures or having to change their schedule late in the day.
It’s tricky to manage timings (all fights go the distance, I think back to that show from FW where the main event started at something like 12.30pm, or they all end early) and it’s tricky to manage sponsors/adverts.
There are many reasons why boxing isn’t on terrestrial, but I don’t think that’s one.
It was never an issue in the 80’s and 90’s.
The biggest impact of that always used to be on the audience at the venue.
I’ve spent the last 7 years dealing with dozens of tv channels and networks. I worked on a deal with one terrestrial channel for 2 live hours of TV each day/360 days a year - their primary focus is money and the easier the better.
The 80s was clearly a different era. The cost of boxing was, in relative terms compared to today, far cheaper then than it is now and there wasn’t the array of TV/Sport choice there is now.
It’s a tricky sport to run on Live TV. Take FW’s show recently on BT - what would have happened if that had been on ITV? It would have been a massive failure for them and ITV would be pissed off with either really low viewing figures or having to change their schedule late in the day.
It’s tricky to manage timings (all fights go the distance, I think back to that show from FW where the main event started at something like 12.30pm, or they all end early) and it’s tricky to manage sponsors/adverts.
There are many reasons why boxing isn’t on terrestrial, but I don’t think that’s one.
It was never an issue in the 80’s and 90’s.
The biggest impact of that always used to be on the audience at the venue.
I’ve spent the last 7 years dealing with dozens of tv channels and networks. I worked on a deal with one terrestrial channel for 2 live hours of TV each day/360 days a year - their primary focus is money and the easier the better.
The 80s was clearly a different era. The cost of boxing was, in relative terms compared to today, far cheaper then than it is now and there wasn’t the array of TV/Sport choice there is now.
You won’t get any arguments from me that money is an issue.
CaptainSpacerod wrote: ↑11 Mar 2021, 14:10
Spectacular knockouts are always popular. Groves couldn't be categorised as "not liked" but no doubt the Froch KO was big in the world of social media.
If you measure how liked a fighter is by his tv audience figures and ticket buyers then Khan must be amongst the most liked British boxers
Although it would never happen, I'd back CaptainSpacerod's theory that if Josha v Fury went out live on BBC1 or ITV1 it would attract mega-millions.
If Channel 5 can pull in a million or so viewers for the occasional fight, that most people outside of boxing fans won't have heard of the boxers, then an AJ v Fury live show would explode.
mickey1975 wrote: ↑11 Mar 2021, 18:33
Khan wasn’t all that for tickets.
How many uk fighters in khan’s time have averaged more fans than him ? Maybe only AJ, Hatton, Warrington, Froch, Haye and Frampton at a guess. And most of those guys got their biggest crowds in the AJ era when boxing’s popularity here had risen significantly and the Eddie Hearn/ Sky hype machine was at its peak
That was a one-off. Amazing really considering it was cold and windy that night and terrential rain all week, and on one of four free channels in the comfort of your sofa or armchair, that a reported 43K came for it (looked a lot more on the night to be fair)
coghaugen11 wrote: ↑12 Mar 2021, 12:53
That was a one-off. Amazing really considering it was cold and windy that night and terrential rain all week, and on one of four free channels in the comfort of your sofa or armchair, that a reported 43K came for it (looked a lot more on the night to be fair)
Hate to say it, but Hearn would have sold it out in five minutes.
People were flying through the turnstiles with no tickets.
I had a £75 ticket and was high in the stands - they looked like two Subbuteo figures. That was nearly a weeks wage back then, 75 quid. I think Barry Hearn pocketed the full £3.5M in ticket sells, and King put up the £1.85M purse to have it on Showtime and set up his middleweight tourney thing with most of the 154-168ers (which didn’t come to fruition)
Last edited by coghaugen11 on 13 Mar 2021, 12:01, edited 1 time in total.
coghaugen11 wrote: ↑12 Mar 2021, 12:53
That was a one-off. Amazing really considering it was cold and windy that night and terrential rain all week, and on one of four free channels in the comfort of your sofa or armchair, that a reported 43K came for it (looked a lot more on the night to be fair)
Hate to say it, but Hearn would have sold it out in five minutes.
The fighters sell tickets. Eddie Hearn? Pure luck. Nothing but sheer out and out luck. He has AJ after London gold (gift decisions, mind you). Howard Foster stoppage as social media was becoming life almost - Facebook at its peak
coghaugen11 wrote: ↑12 Mar 2021, 17:27
Think Tucker and Carlton were leading Benn in.
People were flying through the turnstiles with no tickets.
I had a £75 ticket and was high on the stands - they looked like two Subbuteo figures. That was nearly a weeks wage back then, 75 quid. I think Barry Hearn pocketed the full £3.5M in ticket sells, and King put up the £1.85M purse to have it on Showtime and set up his middleweight tourney thing with most of the 154-168ers (which didn’t come to fruition)
Wow what a night. You were there! Wasn’t that fight on a Sunday too?
No it was a Saturday ,i was there too,I think it was a week after Lewis v Bruno
Rematch was a Saturday. It was like a party atmosphere. Simply the Best sung into the night sky on Eubank entry. ‘Gwan Nige!’ shouted by tens of thousands of people in one place, as it was in every pub in the land, when actually on replay on TV it was mostly off-balance shots, falling short or rabbit punches in clinches (or indeed low blows)... Eubank was worse, on replay, shining shoes without shining shoes.
Last edited by coghaugen11 on 13 Mar 2021, 12:04, edited 2 times in total.
coghaugen11 wrote: ↑12 Mar 2021, 17:27
Think Tucker and Carlton were leading Benn in.
People were flying through the turnstiles with no tickets.
I had a £75 ticket and was high on the stands - they looked like two Subbuteo figures. That was nearly a weeks wage back then, 75 quid. I think Barry Hearn pocketed the full £3.5M in ticket sells, and King put up the £1.85M purse to have it on Showtime and set up his middleweight tourney thing with most of the 154-168ers (which didn’t come to fruition)
