JDC wrote:MachoMan09 wrote:chrisfinch wrote:Not really. He consistently put on dire shows in the last 6 months of last year so you can't blame ITV for pulling out. And when Froch fought against Taylor and Dirrell Hennessy shoved it on PPV's that nobody watched in an effort to make a bit more cash. If those fights would have been on ITV1, maybe Froch would have been a star on Haye-like levels-but instead nobody cares about him or knows who he is outside of Nottingham or boxing circles.
I would have to agree with that.
I thought Froch Taylor went on PPV because no TV was picking it up. The only way the fight could be seen by fans live was via the internet stream. I'm sure a deal could have be done with TV if the price was right, but Froch and Hennesy definately wanted it on terestrial TV at the time.
Yep, thats it. I think I read at the time that Hennessy wanted a ridiculous amount for the fight, ITV said no deal (bearing in mind the fight was at 4am) and made a counter offer which Hennessy scoffed at, thinking he could make more money from an online PPV. He didn't, naturally and it bombed. Not 100% on this, but I believe its what happened.
By the time of the Dirrell fight, ITV had announced they were done at the end of the year and presumably didn't see the benefit in buying it. In my eyes, Hennessy should have bent over backwards to accommodate them for both fights-but he's a promoter and I'm not. Obviously these fights wouldn't have got X Factore style figures, but at that time of the night the audience share (which is mainly what broadcasters look at) would be massive.
Can't help but feel he might still have a contract with ITV if he'd have done things differently.
DD