TV Coverage of O2 Arena card?

Autobarn · Post by **Autobarn** » 02 Jul 2007, 11:46

leforge wrote:Its not on Setanta latest schedules.

I hope Setanta plan to show at least two fight cards this month otherwise i'm cancelling

Chambers2 · Post by **Chambers2** » 02 Jul 2007, 11:59

Autobarn wrote:
leforge wrote:Its not on Setanta latest schedules.
I hope Setanta plan to show at least two fight cards this month otherwise i'm cancelling

Through gritted teeth I signed up to Setanta for the Ricky fight, specifically asking if this was a one-off payment.....YES I was assured. The next thing I know I've got a Direct Debit mandate saying they are gonna be taking the wonga out of me bank each month, so I called up to cancel and they told me that I can't cancel in the first 30 days since signing up. so now I've got to wait til the 23rd July before I can cancel ....Dodgy Feckers

leforge · Post by **leforge** » 02 Jul 2007, 11:59

What cards could they broadcast, assuming ITV got sportsnetwork.

TerribleTerry · Post by **TerribleTerry** » 02 Jul 2007, 12:04

Wales wrote:
TerribleTerry wrote:
Wales wrote:
Where are the equivalent large scale ads these days? ..
Where are the equivalent bouts?

I know what you are saying, but in reality Benn v Eubank was only a domestic super fight retrospectively. In hindsight it was an almighty coming together of two very charismatic and courageous warriors. But was that the public perception at the time?

Think about it.

In 1990 Benn was a popular and well-known fighter who had recently turned in two impressive stateside outings, but who was Eubank to the general public?

In the build up they played on his eccentricity and flared nostril posing but his form and ability at that time were unproven. His early fights were mostly shown on the relatively obscure Screensport channel and whilst Johnny Melfah and Kid Milo were decent enough scalps, did you give him any chance against The Dark Destroyer? I for one expected him to get blown away in all honesty.

The build up to that fight, in the media and via build boards, transformed for me a homecoming outing for Benn against a relative unknown into a must see spectacle.

It was the kind of hype and wide spread visibility that boxing lacks for me in this day and age.

Haye v Maccarinelli could have been sold to the public as a great must see fight between exciting bangers. Instead we missed out altogether.

Promoters need to get back to basics and PROMOTE, instead of relying on long-term TV deals to feather their respective nests.

Rant over.

Chambers2 · Post by **Chambers2** » 02 Jul 2007, 12:06

I must admit I'd never heard of Chris Eubank prior to the Benn fight.....instantly liked him though and was cheering him on against Benn

boxingchat · Post by **boxingchat** » 02 Jul 2007, 12:22

TerribleTerry wrote:
oliverfennell wrote:
Wales wrote:im sure if Frank drops it in his NOTW column word of mouth will spread.
He no longer writes for NOTW. His latest column was his last one.
Thats God for that.

His thinly veiled hate-filled, and jealousy-fuelled, rhetorics used to sicken me.

It was a soapbox, no more, no less.

If UFC had a card of that quality on in London you wouldnt be able to move for billboards, in cities as far apart as Birmingham and Manchester

Have SN learned nothing from the recent UFC 'invasion'??

Yeah they have, they pay the fighters the money and not the advertisers!
If top fighters wanted to earn UFC wages then I am sure the advertising budget would be reflective of UFC.

Also, FW's soapbox is now in the SUN

TerribleTerry · Post by **TerribleTerry** » 02 Jul 2007, 12:34

boxingchat wrote:
Yeah they have, they pay the fighters the money and not the advertisers!
If top fighters wanted to earn UFC wages then I am sure the advertising budget would be reflective of UFC.

Also, FW's soapbox is now in the SUN

Benn and Eubank got paid relatively well for their first encounter and the promoters (Matchroom wasnt it?) created a buzz through the media and a large scale advertising campaign.

I havent got the same buzz/level of visibility for the admittedly excellent (if it hoilds together) O2 bill - although as I am not in the capital and dont read the red tops maybe I am just not bearing witness to an aggressive and well thought out advertising campaign?,..

Autobarn · Post by **Autobarn** » 02 Jul 2007, 12:48

Chambers2 wrote:
Autobarn wrote:
leforge wrote:Its not on Setanta latest schedules.
I hope Setanta plan to show at least two fight cards this month otherwise i'm cancelling
Through gritted teeth I signed up to Setanta for the Ricky fight, specifically asking if this was a one-off payment.....YES I was assured. The next thing I know I've got a Direct Debit mandate saying they are gonna be taking the wonga out of me bank each month, so I called up to cancel and they told me that I can't cancel in the first 30 days since signing up. so now I've got to wait til the 23rd July before I can cancel ....Dodgy Feckers

looked at the schedule and there appears to be nothing for the next 2 weeks...

earsjohn · Post by **earsjohn** » 02 Jul 2007, 13:44

TerribleTerry wrote:
boxingchat wrote:
Yeah they have, they pay the fighters the money and not the advertisers!
If top fighters wanted to earn UFC wages then I am sure the advertising budget would be reflective of UFC.

Also, FW's soapbox is now in the SUN
Benn and Eubank got paid relatively well for their first encounter and the promoters (Matchroom wasnt it?) created a buzz through the media and a large scale advertising campaign.

I havent got the same buzz/level of visibility for the admittedly excellent (if it hoilds together) O2 bill - although as I am not in the capital and dont read the red tops maybe I am just not bearing witness to an aggressive and well thought out advertising campaign?,..

Terry

I live and work in London and I have seen nothing in the way of promotion. I vaguely remember reading something about the public session, but I think that was probably on a forum.

Coincidentally on my way home I saw a large advert at London Bridge tube station for a UFC event on Sept 8th, also at the O2. No fighters were mentioned for an event over 2 months away. Amir Khan is better known to combat sport fans than anyone in MMA, yet there is no promotion, no advertising and when the card is shown, there will be fewer viewers than there should be.

TerribleTerry · Post by **TerribleTerry** » 02 Jul 2007, 14:19

earsjohn wrote:
TerribleTerry wrote:
boxingchat wrote:
Yeah they have, they pay the fighters the money and not the advertisers!
If top fighters wanted to earn UFC wages then I am sure the advertising budget would be reflective of UFC.

Also, FW's soapbox is now in the SUN
Benn and Eubank got paid relatively well for their first encounter and the promoters (Matchroom wasnt it?) created a buzz through the media and a large scale advertising campaign.

I havent got the same buzz/level of visibility for the admittedly excellent (if it hoilds together) O2 bill - although as I am not in the capital and dont read the red tops maybe I am just not bearing witness to an aggressive and well thought out advertising campaign?,..
Terry

I live and work in London and I have seen nothing in the way of promotion. I vaguely remember reading something about the public session, but I think that was probably on a forum.

Coincidentally on my way home I saw a large advert at London Bridge tube station for a UFC event on Sept 8th, also at the O2. No fighters were mentioned for an event over 2 months away. Amir Khan is better known to combat sport fans than anyone in MMA, yet there is no promotion, no advertising and when the card is shown, there will be fewer viewers than there should be.

Ears,

I have been a bxing fan since I was a little kid.

Fact is though that I have tickets for the UFC show - bought em the day them went on sale.

I havent bothered with the boxing show though.

Why?

A combination of poor advertising, being stung by previous pull outs and the fact that I am generally a little disillusioned with my favourite sport (although MMA will NEVER superceed it in my eyes.)

UFC is guaranteed an excellent show - slick, well produced, value for money with even fights. The main event - Rampage v Henderson is a killer fight with the mouthwatering Cro Cop v Kongo and Bisping v Hamill offering excellent support and depth. My ticket cost £25. Thats what I am used to paying for a 5 fight small hall card in boxing.

The latest O2 boxing show is the exception, not the rule anymore unfortuantely.

On a worldwide scene there are more and more fights that I am excited about and the Golden Boy/Arum end of hostilities is gonna produced some great match ups..

I just wish boxing promoters would package our sport with a little more thought/effort.

Autobarn · Post by **Autobarn** » 03 Jul 2007, 04:47

leforge wrote:What cards could they broadcast, assuming ITV got sportsnetwork.

they could go international, such as the Povetkin card! Or how about the Euro shows where King sends his fighters abroad -mostly cruisers, heavies, light heavies...that would be nice. Or compete with Sky for US coverage. They said they were looking into "Holyfield and Duddy" fights, yet they didn't show Evander on Sat...

We were led to believe that Hatton was going to be shown on Setanta. Hatton even 'advised' ppl to buy Setanta Sports. It would be bloody stupid if they haven't even got rights to his fights now. I would very much like to know where I am. I mean you always have to shell out extra for Hatton fights.

oliverfennell · Post by **oliverfennell** » 03 Jul 2007, 06:29

I was in The 02 the other night and there wasn't a single advertisement to be found anywhere in the building in which the event is taking place in less than 2 weeks' time.

There was, however, advertising for the UFC event more than two months away.

earsjohn · Post by **earsjohn** » 03 Jul 2007, 06:47

oliverfennell wrote:I was in The 02 the other night and there wasn't a single advertisement to be found anywhere in the building in which the event is taking place in less than 2 weeks' time.

There was, however, advertising for the UFC event more than two months away.

Exactly my point. You have to forgive me if "lets leave it to Frank, he's been in the business long enough to know what he's doing" doesn't cut the mustard when the evidence is clear, or in this case, non-existent!

Amir Khan is big enough to transcend Boxing and to an extent, Sport. He is a big name among non-boxing fans and is part of a great card, so why is there no utilisation of, for want if a better word, this great asset? Is there a chance that the card is under threat? Is Frank lacking the confidence to support his boxers and his own promotion?

Speculate to Accumulate - thats what my old man always used to say. Well if this is the future of Boxing promotion, then the sport is in a lot more trouble than any of us realise.

REAL_DEAL · Post by **REAL_DEAL** » 03 Jul 2007, 07:31

ITV do have a 2 hour slot TBA on the same night as the O2 card 9-11pm so i am guessing thats for boxing, why they havent announced anything i dont know. i am guessing the tv deal isnt as good as the last one.

oliverfennell · Post by **oliverfennell** » 03 Jul 2007, 08:47

REAL_DEAL wrote:ITV do have a 2 hour slot TBA on the same night as the O2 card 9-11pm so i am guessing thats for boxing, why they havent announced anything i dont know. i am guessing the tv deal isnt as good as the last one.

That is surely allocated to the boxing, provisionally. If that slot ends up being an Adam Sandler movie, we'll know they felt once bitten, twice shy.

WildWaylon · Post by **WildWaylon** » 03 Jul 2007, 10:43

Chambers2 wrote:I must admit I'd never heard of Chris Eubank prior to the Benn fight.....instantly liked him though and was cheering him on against Benn

Eurosport showed most of his early fights claiming he was going all the way - It was clear to most of us Eubank was something special just as his ring entrance was - ITV spotted the early talents of Naz in the same way, and now its Khan who they are concentrating on.

Wales · Post by **Wales** » 03 Jul 2007, 10:53

earsjohn wrote:
oliverfennell wrote:I was in The 02 the other night and there wasn't a single advertisement to be found anywhere in the building in which the event is taking place in less than 2 weeks' time.

There was, however, advertising for the UFC event more than two months away.
Exactly my point. You have to forgive me if "lets leave it to Frank, he's been in the business long enough to know what he's doing" doesn't cut the mustard when the evidence is clear, or in this case, non-existent!

Amir Khan is big enough to transcend Boxing and to an extent, Sport. He is a big name among non-boxing fans and is part of a great card, so why is there no utilisation of, for want if a better word, this great asset? Is there a chance that the card is under threat? Is Frank lacking the confidence to support his boxers and his own promotion?

Speculate to Accumulate - thats what my old man always used to say. Well if this is the future of Boxing promotion, then the sport is in a lot more trouble than any of us realise.

Doesnt your argument work both ways though? The internet is now bigger, thus why spend loads of cash if he feels he already has his target audience on the web? There was no other way for fans to know what was happening with regards to boxing other than advertising on billboards "back in the day" .

Also, whats the crux of your point? Are you worried about the arena not being filled, the show not being televised or ...... ?

As for Khan trancending the sport. I dont think (personally) Frank wants to put that much pressure on the kids shoulders. Far better coming along quietly (well... ) than suddenly becoming the saviour of british boxing.

oliverfennell · Post by **oliverfennell** » 03 Jul 2007, 11:08

Yes, he sure has come along quietly so far...

Wales · Post by **Wales** » 03 Jul 2007, 11:26

Thats why I put "(well...)" Oliver. He couldve been brought along with a lot more fan fare. Audley Harrison was headlining from day 1 wasnt he. Im sure Khan could have done the same at shows in and around Bolton, and probably further afield. The point I was making was its one thing to be hyped, but to be expected to transcend the sport at 18 / 19 is a huge burden of expectation.

earsjohn · Post by **earsjohn** » 03 Jul 2007, 11:29

Wales wrote:
earsjohn wrote:
oliverfennell wrote:I was in The 02 the other night and there wasn't a single advertisement to be found anywhere in the building in which the event is taking place in less than 2 weeks' time.

There was, however, advertising for the UFC event more than two months away.
Exactly my point. You have to forgive me if "lets leave it to Frank, he's been in the business long enough to know what he's doing" doesn't cut the mustard when the evidence is clear, or in this case, non-existent!

Amir Khan is big enough to transcend Boxing and to an extent, Sport. He is a big name among non-boxing fans and is part of a great card, so why is there no utilisation of, for want if a better word, this great asset? Is there a chance that the card is under threat? Is Frank lacking the confidence to support his boxers and his own promotion?

Speculate to Accumulate - thats what my old man always used to say. Well if this is the future of Boxing promotion, then the sport is in a lot more trouble than any of us realise.
Doesnt your argument work both ways though? The internet is now bigger, thus why spend loads of cash if he feels he already has his target audience on the web? There was no other way for fans to know what was happening with regards to boxing other than advertising on billboards "back in the day" .

Also, whats the crux of your point? Are you worried about the arena not being filled, the show not being televised or ...... ?

As for Khan trancending the sport. I dont think (personally) Frank wants to put that much pressure on the kids shoulders. Far better coming along quietly (well... ) than suddenly becoming the saviour of british boxing.

My initial point was a concern that the card wouldn't be shown live, however, that has given way to a more general concern. As a number of people have said, it's almost certainly going to be live, just a matter of dotting i's and crossing t's. But surely more (any?) promotion of the event would lead to both improved ticket sales and improved viewing figures?

The argument does indeed work both ways and with more information, clearly more people know about these things. The users of sites such as Boxrec and similar forums are, I imagine, already planning on watching or attending. I am talking about the casual fans whose attention Promoters should be trying to catch. There is talk everywhere about the impact of MMA, so surely SOME promotion of one of the deepest boxing cards in Britain for a while would be worthwhile? If UFC can advertise their wares 2 months in advance without a single mention of the fighters appearing, surely a card featuring Amir Khan, Matt Skelton, Nicky Cook, Anthony Small, Bradley Pryce, etc deserves more promotion than it is currently getting? With fewer attendees and fewer viewers comes falling revenue. Poor TV ratings will discourage broadcasters, and us non-casual fans will miss out on fights that should be televised (i'm stretching the point here - but this is a long term problem that ought to be tackled as soon as possible, not left until it's too late).

I certainly wouldn't want to encourage extra pressure on Amir, but his popularity and image are as a British sportsman, not as a British boxer - it's his fault in that he won the silver!!! The British public are forever searching for a young hero - look at the adulation of Rooney as a 17 year old and Owen as an 18 year old (football) - so that is something that should be nurtured (carefully) and not ignored.

oliverfennell · Post by **oliverfennell** » 03 Jul 2007, 12:33

Wales wrote:Thats why I put "(well...)" Oliver. He couldve been brought along with a lot more fan fare. Audley Harrison was headlining from day 1 wasnt he. Im sure Khan could have done the same at shows in and around Bolton, and probably further afield. The point I was making was its one thing to be hyped, but to be expected to transcend the sport at 18 / 19 is a huge burden of expectation.

Yes, fair point. However Audley was a somewhat exceptional situation which had not been seen before and probably won't be again. Khan's progress so far is along the lines of Bruno, Lewis and Naz - yes, undercards and a few stiffs, but very high publicity from the start.