BoxRec

After the recent announcement of Dillian Whyte’s rematch with Derek Chisora, fans were left to questions promoter Eddie Hearn.

The rematch of their December 2016 classic will take place on December 22, however, on that same night fellow promoter allegedly stages the IBF featherweight title fight between champion Josh Warrington and Carl Frampton.

Both fights will be on pay-per-view, and with Warren announcing the fight two months prior, fans were left frustrated with Hearn’s choice to stage the fight on the same night.

However, in an interview with Boxing News editor, Matt Christie, the Matchroom boss revealed why he was willing to go head-to-head with his rivals.

Hearn cited his previous experience with promoting the Frampton v Scott Quigg PPV in 2016 and Whyte v Chisora appealing to a wider audience was deciding factor to sharing the December date.

“Naturally, it’s two completely different fights and two completely different markets,” Hearn said.

“Frampton-Warrington is a hardcore fans’ fight, it’s not a fight for the casuals, it’s never going to attract casuals, even if it wasn’t on the same night as us.

“If this wasn’t Warrington-Frampton, if it was [Deontay] Wilder-[Tyson] Fury [on December 22] we would have had no choice but to not go.

“But, again, not being critical of Frampton-Warrington, look, I did Frampton-Quigg , I know the numbers, it’s not a threat.”

For fans the logical answer to this dilemma would be to have the heavyweight rematch staged on a different date.

However, Hearn claimed financially the December date makes more sense, while it also gives the winner good time to prepare for a possible Anthony Joshua fight, as the unified heavyweight champion is already confirmed to be fighting on April 13, 2019, at Wembley Stadium.

“(January is) a poor month for pay-per-view. (And) Dillian wants to fight Anthony Joshua in April or at least have to opportunity to do so if he wins. If we go in January that wouldn’t be the case,” Hearn said.

“Frampton-Warrington is just not big enough to stop me from staging Whyte-Chisora on the 22nd. It’s not ideal but I’m happy to lose 50,000 buys to get that date and that venue, if that makes sense.

Hearn also received criticism from fans for having the non world title fight broadcasted on PPV, but the promoter claimed Whyte’s ability to draw in numbers was the deciding factor to the decision.

“We’re under no instruction to do another pay-per-view," Hearn claimed.

"The only instruction we’re under is that every fighter wants to fight on pay-per-view. And the numbers keep getting better and better and better.

“Look at Whyte against (Joseph) Parker, which happened on July 28 – which is a horrible day for pay-per-view, because people are on holiday, it’s the summer, it’s hot – and we nearly did 400,000 buys

“Did we have to do PPV? No. But then obviously the difference with this fight being on PPV and not PPV is that the two fighters will earn well over seven figures each.

“We definitely didn’t have to do another PPV, but we did do if we wanted to make this fight.”

We’re under no instruction to do another pay-per-view," Hearn claimed.

"The only instruction we’re under is that every fighter wants to fight on pay-per-view. And the numbers keep getting better and better and better.

ya, so this sounds like a very pro ppv statment looking ahead, at least in the british market without dazn

Absolute tosspot

No way Whyte Parker did those numbers

Nightmare Roy wrote: ↑03 Nov 2018, 16:39 No way Whyte Parker did those numbers

Less than 400k..

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑03 Nov 2018, 16:41

Nightmare Roy wrote: ↑03 Nov 2018, 16:39 No way Whyte Parker did those numbers

Less than 400k..

Between 3-400k would be much more than I'd expect

Nightmare Roy wrote: ↑03 Nov 2018, 16:39 No way Whyte Parker did those numbers

The fighters would be straight out demanding more money if it didn't.

jameswilson wrote: ↑03 Nov 2018, 17:31

Nightmare Roy wrote: ↑03 Nov 2018, 16:39 No way Whyte Parker did those numbers

The fighters would be straight out demanding more money if it didn't.

True, just find it hard to believe 300,000 people in the UK would even know who they are.

Whatever the number of buys Hearn says, I reckon you can safely halve it to get a more accurate figure.

Boxerbeetle wrote: ↑03 Nov 2018, 17:34 Whatever the number of buys Hearn says, I reckon you can safely halve it to get a more accurate figure.

According to BARB. 475k watched the fight on Box Office. Over the weekend. Now some might have watched it on sunday.. can assume 400k to be a realistic number.

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑03 Nov 2018, 18:10

Boxerbeetle wrote: ↑03 Nov 2018, 17:34 Whatever the number of buys Hearn says, I reckon you can safely halve it to get a more accurate figure.

According to BARB. 475k watched the fight on Box Office. Over the weekend. Now some might have watched it on sunday.. can assume 400k to be a realistic number.

BARB would know fvck all about Sky PPV sales

Boxerbeetle wrote: ↑03 Nov 2018, 18:14

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑03 Nov 2018, 18:10

Boxerbeetle wrote: ↑03 Nov 2018, 17:34 Whatever the number of buys Hearn says, I reckon you can safely halve it to get a more accurate figure.

According to BARB. 475k watched the fight on Box Office. Over the weekend. Now some might have watched it on sunday.. can assume 400k to be a realistic number.

BARB would know fvck all about Sky PPV sales

I’m talking about viewers not buys. The monitors viewers on channels. But if that’s how many viewers watched it then the buys are definately less.

Boxerbeetle wrote: ↑03 Nov 2018, 18:14

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑03 Nov 2018, 18:10

Boxerbeetle wrote: ↑03 Nov 2018, 17:34 Whatever the number of buys Hearn says, I reckon you can safely halve it to get a more accurate figure.

According to BARB. 475k watched the fight on Box Office. Over the weekend. Now some might have watched it on sunday.. can assume 400k to be a realistic number.

BARB would know fvck all about Sky PPV sales

What whereas you're the font of all knowledge on the matter?

jameswilson wrote: ↑03 Nov 2018, 18:27

Boxerbeetle wrote: ↑03 Nov 2018, 18:14

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑03 Nov 2018, 18:10

According to BARB. 475k watched the fight on Box Office. Over the weekend. Now some might have watched it on sunday.. can assume 400k to be a realistic number.

BARB would know fvck all about Sky PPV sales

What whereas you're the font of all knowledge on the matter?

You hardly need to be a font of all knowledge to realise Hearn exaggerates PPV sales.

Boxerbeetle wrote: ↑03 Nov 2018, 18:31

jameswilson wrote: ↑03 Nov 2018, 18:27

Boxerbeetle wrote: ↑03 Nov 2018, 18:14

BARB would know fvck all about Sky PPV sales

What whereas you're the font of all knowledge on the matter?

You hardly need to be a font of all knowledge to realise Hearn exaggerates PPV sales.

Barb showed 1.4 million viewers for Joshua vs. Parker. No way that did 1.4 million lol. Like I said. Viewers don’t equal PPV sales. Like I said. Who ever bought the event would have gone back and watched some of it the next day.

astradamus wrote: ↑04 Nov 2018, 07:16

Nightmare Roy wrote: ↑03 Nov 2018, 17:33

jameswilson wrote: ↑03 Nov 2018, 17:31
The fighters would be straight out demanding more money if it didn't.

True, just find it hard to believe 300,000 people in the UK would even know who they are.

The UK got well over 60m people, that's one in 200 people, that should be easy.

I'm not going to buy a Whyte vs Chisora PPV though, unless they put something good on their undercard.
Tyrone Spong vs Andy Ruiz Jr, Duhaupas, Takam or Trey Lippe or something, Facundo Nahuel Simal, Onoriode Ehwarieme, Gonzalo Omar Basile

fornicate off with Tyrone Spong, Asdfjkl...

Hearn ...... well the reason I decided to put it as a PPV event is because I’m a greedy pudendum and I know that people will pay it the end

Spiker wrote: ↑04 Nov 2018, 09:46 Hearn ...... well the reason I decided to put it as a PPV event is because I’m a greedy pudendum and I know that people will pay it the end

And I want to show F _ W who is the boss and I'm willing to mess around the fans & the sport just to do it.

It's even simpler.

For as long as it has existed, Sky has had the UK PPV market all to itself. It can go in balls deep, or it can (eg, after Haye-Harrison) kick it into the long grass for a while. Free to do what it likes - a little, a lot, anything it likes really.

BT Sport is a serious contender in terms of a rival broadcaster, and they are now going into boxing PPV. This is new. This threatens Sky's monopoly and the response - counter programming - is entirely predictable.

They are putting a PPV up against the BT PPV for this purpose alone. Everything else is window dressing. It's to harm the competition and make life as difficult as possible for BT sport to build up its customer base who can and will subscribe to the BT Sport boxing PPVs.

JimJim2009 wrote: ↑04 Nov 2018, 11:40 It's even simpler.

For as long as it has existed, Sky has had the UK PPV market all to itself. It can go in balls deep, or it can (eg, after Haye-Harrison) kick it into the long grass for a while. Free to do what it likes - a little, a lot, anything it likes really.

BT Sport is a serious contender in terms of a rival broadcaster, and they are now going into boxing PPV. This is new. This threatens Sky's monopoly and the response - counter programming - is entirely predictable.

They are putting a PPV up against the BT PPV for this purpose alone. Everything else is window dressing. It's to harm the competition and make life as difficult as possible for BT sport to build up its customer base who can and will subscribe to the BT Sport boxing PPVs.

Just like a ratings war in the US.

I don’t know if HBO and Showtime ever went head to head for PPV’s. Apart from a joint one like they have done a couple of times.

Lewis vs. Tyson and May vs. Pac..

Never got the hate that Hearn gets. He churns out great nights of boxing over and over again and has well and truly put boxing back on the map. It’s like it’s ‘trendy’ to hate him. Wierd.

Did you not read the 1st post?

Ads_ wrote: ↑04 Nov 2018, 18:26 Never got the hate that Hearn gets. He churns out great nights of boxing over and over again and has well and truly put boxing back on the map. It’s like it’s ‘trendy’ to hate him. Wierd.

I'd say it was more 'trendy' to be a Matchroom arse licker tbh! I don't really like the guy but he's good at what he does. We had arguably the best fighter in the UK on last night and it was free on YouTube! Can you imagine if Hearn was promoting Taylor! That being said, he's still a wanker!

Ads_ wrote: ↑04 Nov 2018, 18:26 Never got the hate that Hearn gets. He churns out great nights of boxing over and over again and has well and truly put boxing back on the map. It’s like it’s ‘trendy’ to hate him. Wierd.

#justice4eddeh

Ads_ wrote: ↑04 Nov 2018, 18:26 Never got the hate that Hearn gets. He churns out great nights of boxing over and over again and has well and truly put boxing back on the map. It’s like it’s ‘trendy’ to hate him. Wierd.

I don't hate him.
I think a lot of posters on here were positive towards him when Matchroom came back into boxing. Things started to change when Sky gave them a total monopoly on all UK boxing on their channels. this excluded any competition and the overall quality has gone down while the hype for moderate contests has gone into overdrive.
Things have got to a strange point when the 3rd and 4th ranked heavies in the UK are worthy of a PPV.
Having said that, I heard some of people at work talking about boxing the other day and Whyte v Chisora was the fight they were talking about. Eddie knows how to get through to the mainstream sports fans.