Who could benefit from ITV's Re-Emergence?

[mickey1975]

Where has all this salivating come from that ITV are back in a big way ?
Show me the proof.

It's good news for the sport though. Boxing on terrestrial television is always a good thing. Obviously we don't know if this is a one off, or a long term plan. I suspect that depends on ratings.

But if ratings are the answer, I suspect the best thing to do is agree as much of us watch it as possible. If fans react positively to the news that ITV are showing boxing they might, just might, put more on.

I don't see why they'd come back for just one fight though. I think they'll follow Frampton at least. It's a coup, Parsons, and one you didn't see coming. I know it's upsetting for Kid to be pushed even further into the shade but it's good for boxing in general.

[ILikeBeer]

I don't see why they'd come back for just one fight though. I think they'll follow Frampton at least. It's a coup, Parsons, and one you didn't see coming. I know it's upsetting for Kid to be pushed even further into the shade but it's good for boxing in general.

Dipping their feet in the pond, I guess. Just to see how the ratings go. If there aren't ratings it won't happen again, if they get good ratings they probably will. As you say, if nothing else they'll get a few more Frampton fights on ITV hopefully.

Also, I guess it depends on what else the channel is currently plugging. ITV's Saturday night schedule for the second half of the year gets pretty full with all it's X-Factor shows and whatnot. It'll be interesting to see how much boxing gets shown on ITV once Cowell and his celebrity mates get back on telly.

[Parson Cross]

It's not a coup Mickey trust me.
Frampton was prosituted around by his back room team and it was always a case of highest bidder wins.
They will follow him living on the dream of audiences from the Barry era and they will get the viewing - but as for anything else - I very much doubt it.
Contractually who else is there to target ?

[danamba7]

I don't see why they'd come back for just one fight though. I think they'll follow Frampton at least. It's a coup, Parsons, and one you didn't see coming. I know it's upsetting for Kid to be pushed even further into the shade but it's good for boxing in general.

Dipping their feet in the pond, I guess. Just to see how the ratings go. If there aren't ratings it won't happen again, if they get good ratings they probably will. As you say, if nothing else they'll get a few more Frampton fights on ITV hopefully.

Also, I guess it depends on what else the channel is currently plugging. ITV's Saturday night schedule for the second half of the year gets pretty full with all it's X-Factor shows and whatnot. It'll be interesting to see how much boxing gets shown on ITV once Cowell and his celebrity mates get back on telly.

ITV4 is still a decent platform and with ITV not having much football anymore, there could be room for boxing. It's early days but there's a lot more hope than there was previous to this announcement!

[ILikeBeer]

ITV4 is still a decent platform and with ITV not having much football anymore, there could be room for boxing. It's early days but there's a lot more hope than there was previous to this announcement!

Fair point.

If ITV have got any sense they'll do it properly, unlike last time. What they need is somebody running this who actually knows about boxing. Not somebody who is going to be sucked into hype, and will put on shit bills because a promoter told them it was good.

Hopefully ITV1 will be able to show the bigger fights, with ITV4 showing undercards and maybe even some smaller hall shows if we're lucky.

[danamba7]

ITV4 is still a decent platform and with ITV not having much football anymore, there could be room for boxing. It's early days but there's a lot more hope than there was previous to this announcement!

Fair point.

If ITV have got any sense they'll do it properly, unlike last time. What they need is somebody running this who actually knows about boxing. Not somebody who is going to be sucked into hype, and will put on poo bills because a promoter told them it was good.

Hopefully ITV1 will be able to show the bigger fights, with ITV4 showing undercards and maybe even some smaller hall shows if we're lucky.

Would be class even if there was only 2 or 3 big ITV shows a year and the rest were decent shows on ITV4. Getting way ahead of myself but the possibility is exciting!

[ILikeBeer]

Would be class even if there was only 2 or 3 big ITV shows a year and the rest were decent shows on ITV4. Getting way ahead of myself but the possibility is exciting!

Agreed.

[hitman_hatton1]

Hopefully ITV1 will be able to show the bigger fights, with ITV4 showing undercards and maybe even some smaller hall shows if we're lucky.

bet eddie hearn won't be letting quigg fight on itv. :>

[Benelio]

Hopefully ITV1 will be able to show the bigger fights, with ITV4 showing undercards and maybe even some smaller hall shows if we're lucky.

bet eddie hearn won't be letting quigg fight on itv. :>

it would be funny if Matchroom fighters started defecting in droves to Barry McGuigan now. Seeing as Matchroom's stable has been built on poaching fighters from other promoters (mainly just one) after they've already been built up.

[Parson Cross]

Who will ITV work with exactly to make this happen ?

Wazza - No.
Fast Car - No.
Hennessey - No.
Coldwell - No.

Etc etc etc.

Hatton ? Maybe but the vast majority of his stable are foreigners.
McGuigan - Yes.

All this talk of boxers defecting to Barry - oh dear.

[expe]

It's not a coup Mickey trust me.
Frampton was prosituted around by his back room team and it was always a case of highest bidder wins.
They will follow him living on the dream of audiences from the Barry era and they will get the viewing - but as for anything else - I very much doubt it.
Contractually who else is there to target ?

Live on ITV1, primetime on a Saturday night is a coup, no matter how you try and spin it.

[Parson Cross]

Why would I try to "spin it" my friend ?
I have f all allegiance but everyone seems that this is welcome back to the big time terrestrial tv for boxing on a permanent basis.
I'm mightily pleased it's on but I think there's a long long way to go yet.
So who do you think ITV are going to target Expe ?

[Boxerbeetle]

Why would I try to "spin it" my friend ?
I have f all allegiance but everyone seems that this is welcome back to the big time terrestrial tv for boxing on a permanent basis.
I'm mightily pleased it's on but I think there's a long long way to go yet.
So who do you think ITV are going to target Expe ?

I agree it's far too early to get excited about boxing returning to terrestrial TV, and it could be that ITV decide not to follow it up after this fight. But, to be honest, it's just nice to read a thread where everyone is positive & optimistic about the future! God knows it's what we need after all the negativity & anger that came out of Hearns' last PPV.

[mickey1975]

In a nutshell, it's great news, and if he was been "prostituted" around, what an added bonus the highest bidder was ITV!

[ILikeBeer]

In a nutshell, it's great news, and if he was been "prostituted" around, what an added bonus the highest bidder was ITV!

Seems odd that people criticise him for selling his services to the highest bidder. If ITV put in the most money to show his fights, what's the big deal?

[Parson Cross]

Who's criticised him ?
All I've said is it wasn't a coup ITV securing him. Everyone had a chance and ITV bid the highest - great !

[liamlion]

It's just a shame ITV didn't have a budget for boxing in the summer 2012 when Sky made the decision to give Eddie an exclusive contract.

Obviously I'm biased, but Hatton Promotions had a stable that could have fit the bill on ITV at the time with Murray, Crolla, Quigg etc.

Our stable is still quality and in terms of world rankings, we've got guys on the verse of title shots, but our best guys are now overseas fighters.

If ITV wants to make a proper mark with the public and get huge viewing figures it is going to have to follow its model from the 90s and that is to show the brightest and best british talent in meaningful world title fights.

With respect, the likes of Crolla, Murray, Quigg etcetera would simply not have been special enough to warrant primetime terrestrial television. They are solid fighters but ITV need more than this, they need fighters with real star quality who are making real waves.

The likes of Frampton, Froch and Joshua (i know the latter two arent going to happen) are what the station needs, and not a plethora of quantity over quality which is pretty much where channel 5 went wrong.

If Eubank junior comes through his next fight then he could be perfect for ITV boxing.

[mickey1975]

Eubank jr would be perfect, mainly because the casuals would lap up his dad. Fury would be the best, but he's too volatile. Post watershed he should be ok though! The fights Fury hopes for will be out of their pay structure I would imagine.

[stujones]

Fury vs Chisora 2 stank the place out a bit...... It wasn't much more exciting than the usual Klitchsko performance - so I would hold fire on Fury and he still doesn't "look" the part, never will - hasn't got the right body shape. For a terrestial, primetime, potentially non "hardcore" fan, the look has got to be important also....

Fury might be more talented than both Eubank Jnr and Joshua - but the latter two have main stream appeal potential. It's Joshua that is getting the hype as the fighter who could "re-spark" the heavyweight division. If Fury wins a world title, he'll just be hyped as the best of a bad bunch of heavyweights.

[mickey1975]

Did Larry Holmes ever "look right"? Fury played with Chisora, a fight many on here tipped him to lose. He could have stopped him from about round six onwards.

[liamlion]

Fury vs Chisora 2 stank the place out a bit...... It wasn't much more exciting than the usual Klitchsko performance - so I would hold fire on Fury and he still doesn't "look" the part, never will - hasn't got the right body shape. For a terrestial, primetime, potentially non "hardcore" fan, the look has got to be important also....

Fury might be more talented than both Eubank Jnr and Joshua - but the latter two have main stream appeal potential. It's Joshua that is getting the hype as the fighter who could "re-spark" the heavyweight division. If Fury wins a world title, he'll just be hyped as the best of a bad bunch of heavyweights.

I tend to agree.

Fury has not had a sensational career and he simply wasnt enough to launch and sustain Channel 5's boxing coverage.

He is a big man with very decent boxing skills but his lack of one punch knockout power means his fights dont tend to be the short, exciting and explosive events which terrestrial TV really needs.

[stujones]

Did Larry Holmes ever "look right"? Fury played with Chisora, a fight many on here tipped him to lose. He could have stopped him from about round six onwards.

Lets see if Fury has a performance in him or a fight as good as Holmes fight with Norton.

and anyway, Holmes' himself wasn't exactly a mainstream superstar in the manner of Ail / Frazier etc and that was in the day of only 2 versions of the world title.

Fury winning the world title and then fighting Joshua will get a big audience no doubt, but Fury in a world title defence against someone like Fres Oquendo will not.

[Parson Cross]

I'm sure Wazza will be saying to ITV come and get em I won't stand in your way.
Still waiting for someone to te me who ITV are going to feature that's not already tied in knots contractually to warrent this blaze of glory return to boxing on a regular basis.
Tell you the other thing that's got me thinking - who's gonna be in the Frampton undercard ?

[mickey1975]

The ITV4 undercard will be slung together for the likes of us. The live audience, and TV audience are only bothered about the main event.

[Wake up call]

It's just a shame ITV didn't have a budget for boxing in the summer 2012 when Sky made the decision to give Eddie an exclusive contract.

Obviously I'm biased, but Hatton Promotions had a stable that could have fit the bill on ITV at the time with Murray, Crolla, Quigg etc.

Our stable is still quality and in terms of world rankings, we've got guys on the verse of title shots, but our best guys are now overseas fighters.

If ITV wants to make a proper mark with the public and get huge viewing figures it is going to have to follow its model from the 90s and that is to show the brightest and best british talent in meaningful world title fights.

With respect, the likes of Crolla, Murray, Quigg etcetera would simply not have been special enough to warrant primetime terrestrial television. They are solid fighters but ITV need more than this, they need fighters with real star quality who are making real waves.

The likes of Frampton, Froch and Joshua (i know the latter two arent going to happen) are what the station needs, and not a plethora of quantity over quality which is pretty much where channel 5 went wrong.

If Eubank junior comes through his next fight then he could be perfect for ITV boxing.

That's wishful thinking to the extreme.

Fighters should be made on TV, not acquired by TV after they've already got a name.

Bills involving Crolla, Quigg, Murray etc would have been great for ITV 4 (as they for Eddie & Sky now), with ITV One being involved when they fight for world titles. Mick Hennessy was the last promoter on ITV and his stable at that time wasn't as good as that. The model at the time was for maybe two world title bills a year on ITV One (them being Witter v Bradley & Froch v Pascal in 2008) and a handful of domestic bills on ITV 4. From what I can see, ITV's return will be similar to that.

Just because Frampton is getting primetime on ITV One doesn't mean every other bill will and it certainly doesn't mean ITV are going to spend millions of pounds poaching fighters from Eddie.

Any notion that ITV are "going to follow the model of the 90s" is pure delusion for a number of reasons, mainly the amount of competition from other channels and the diminutive budgets broadcasters have now in comparison to 20-odd years ago when most people only had four channels and ITV and Channel 4 had a virtual monopoly on TV advertising.