Showtime to only show PPV from 2024?

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

This is bad if it’s true..

[gilgamesh]

In America, Cable Television and Satellite Television as a whole is beginning to fade away. So with it goes the channels. With the channels goes the programming.

This doesn't mean the coverage of the sport ends. It just means it relocates.

But yeah...the relocation has definitely caused me to see a whole lot less boxing than I used to see.

Pretty sure I watched more Boxing matches in 1 month in 2003 than I've watched in the last few years....but hey, Streaming is convenient for everyone else so who am I to argue?

[goose 5]

Not me- there are many weekends when I watch more than 20 bouts-all streams.

[Monzon83]

PBC bankrupted them

HBO came to the same decision, the game is changing. I hope PPV dies it’s ridiculously expensive and just not worth the money they charge.

[Ruthless-RKO]

PBC bankrupted them

HBO came to the same decision, the game is changing. I hope PPV dies it’s ridiculously expensive and just not worth the money they charge.

As long as people buy them, it’s what pays boxers their purse cus tv networks don’t wanna cough up and lose money.

[stevec@france]

how does that work if you are a fighter who wants to be busy .
I imagine Eddie is delighted .

[Perseus]

how does that work if you are a fighter who wants to be busy .
I imagine Eddie is delighted .

Fight on a different platform.

ProBox is probably happy to hear this news.

[stevec@france]

how does that work if you are a fighter who wants to be busy .
I imagine Eddie is delighted .

Fight on a different platform.

ProBox is probably happy to hear this news.

Thats what doesnt add up - how can they do ppvs if the fighters all leave for other platforms .

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Monzon83]

Serves them right, ripping off fans for hugely overpriced PPV’s no wonder people turn off and stream it for free.

[quickeyg]

Bet he got that info from Ricky G.

[Evander]

If the sport itself is healthy in terms of standards, talent and entertainment which it almost always has been, it's just a matter of who the new provider will be.
Considering all the markets available in the future, perhaps showtime want to cash in on a few early ones before it get's bigger and out of their hands

[Ruthless-RKO]

‘The future hasn’t been determined yet’: Stephen Espinoza discusses Showtime’s uncertain future in boxing

Showtime Executive Stephen Espinoza pumps the brakes on the rumors of the network reducing its presence in boxing, saying recent reports have not been accurate.



Fight Hub TV just recently caught up with Showtime executive Stephen Espinoza who touches on a number of subjects, including the ongoing negotiations for the Crawford vs Spence rematch (forget about it happening this year). In the meanwhile, however, he responds to all of the talk about the rumors of Showtime reducing its boxing programming following their merger with Paramount.

“I’m smiling because everyone’s got an inside source,” Espinoza said. “Everyone’s an expert, everybody has a source who’s telling them exactly what’s going on — none of which is accurate. Now, look, there’s a budget process and there’s things to be discussed, and there’s a media business that’s a lot of transformation, and there’s a Paramount corporation that is under financial pressures like all media companies nowadays.

“So, all of that has to be discussed. But all this stuff ‘Tank’s going on this PPV platform, Tank’s fighting Thurman...’ I’ve yet to read anything that was accurate in terms of what’s actually going on internally, in terms of the conversations and the criteria that are being discussed and what kind of elements. So, the reality is the future hasn’t been determined yet. I think it will be shortly, but until someone tells us different we’re going to continue doing what we’ve been doing.

“Because at the end of the day, as much as Showtime Sports has a strong brand, and I think a lot of people respect what we’ve done, what people care about at home, what the fans care about is watching the best fights. They don’t care about the executives like me, they don’t really care about the networks, they’re just saying ‘get me the best fights.’ So until somebody tells us differently, we’re going to continue delivering the best fights in the sport like this one here (Benavidez vs Andrade).”

[margaret thatcher]

lol ezpinosa is such a weasel, paramount itself said theyre shutting it down

“As we evolve our strategy to more efficiently allocate resources and align our content offering across the business, we’ve made the difficult decision not to move forward with boxing and other content produced by the Showtime sports team,” Paramount Global said in today’s release. “Showtime will continue to air and support the remaining 2023 boxing slate and honor obligations through the end of the year.”

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

Technology has evolved where these companies can accurately account how many people are watching programming. Showtime boxing viewership was abysmal and significantly lower than what they had for years projected

[gilgamesh]

Technology has evolved where these companies can accurately account how many people are watching programming. Showtime boxing viewership was abysmal and significantly lower than what they had for years projected

Boxing doesn't really have a way of building up the stars anymore. You used to see guys on the way up fighting, and earning a reputation before they're in a big fight.

Now it's just "Hey here's this guy, fighting for the title. Look at his record, it's good!" But you've never seen the guy fight. You have no emotional investment in the fighter because he's just some guy, not an athlete who's career you've been following.

Boxing will always be a thing, but the glory days of Boxing in the United States at least. Are over.

Other places have better access to it. More interest in it. It's unfortunate, but that's the way it goes.

I'll always miss the glory days of watching everyone come up on ESPN, HBO, Showtime...but it's gone now.

Unless you wanna pay like 30 or more bucks per fight card. Which I don't.

[The Great John L]

I miss being able to find live local fight cards several times a week. How indeed can fighters stay active when there are so few promotions?

Boxing has been a fringe sport in the US now for quite some time. It seems to be doing okay elsewhere, but it has little support here in the US.

[Ruthless-RKO]

PBC gonna look at Prime or DAZN.

[787330]

how does that work if you are a fighter who wants to be busy .
I imagine Eddie is delighted .

Fight on a different platform.

ProBox is probably happy to hear this news.

Thats what doesnt add up - how can they do ppvs if the fighters all leave for other platforms .

They can send them a contract to fight on whatever platform they go to. What type of adding are you doing. Fulton is not on espn but his last fight was. Tyson Fury doesnt fight on Showtime but his first fight against wilder was. Canelo wasnt with Showtime when he fought Caleb Plant but the fight was on showtime. This is a regular occurence in boxing. PBC is a TV series not a promotion company they dont have the same restrictions as a matchroom boxing would have.

[Ruthless-RKO]

So are they not even gonna do PPV’s either?

[Perseus]

Showtime is shutting down sports.
That includes boxing ppv.

[Evander]

Showtime is shutting down sports.
That includes boxing ppv.

Are Showtime shutting down all sports, it definitely sounds like they're shutting down boxing.
Can't say it's good for us, but someone will come in, the sport will have a kick up the ass that's for sure.

[Evander]

Back to double and triple headers that's what I say.
Start lining that up for mid to late January and all of February and early March.

[mikebourkefan]

sad if showtime is being forced by Paramount to shutdown it's boxing. but once the promotors stop the insane over charge on ppv as in 60 to 85$ things will get better. this could be a wakeup call to top fighters and promoters stop cherry picking opponents then another network will lift boxing up. there is also bareknuckle boxing to watch from a few federations in the us and Uk