BoxRec

nothing planned on the website, will franks fights be on tv still??

Think their still negotiating; hence all Warrens big media woo talk,
perhaps trying to get others like Setanta, Sky and the BBC interested too should ITV back out.
(Which some reports say they already have)
But my guess is they are still negotiating, Frank needs ITV more than they need him.

I can just imagine. July 2007. ITV will renew their exclusive contract with allegedly. The promoter promises, "this time, we'll promise to deliver the best fights."

Watch and learn, watch and learn.

I don't believe that exclusive contracts are good for the sport. But we'll see, no doubt.

Ian 'Mr' McNeilly wrote:I don't believe that exclusive contracts are good for the sport. But we'll see, no doubt.

You're not good for the sport, but we suffer you.

To be honest, I don't even think an exclusive deal does Warren much favours in the long term anyway... especially how things have panned out in the last 12 months.

Had Warren had a weekly show on ITV 1 or ITV 4... Then I can understand why Warren would do it. However, with a show every other month then there is plenty of room for other fights being shown without affecting Warren.

Surely Frank wants Woods vs Calzaghe, Calzaghe vs Froch etc to be geniune domestic super fights. Surely that would be best not only for the sport, but also Warren's back pocket. Sure, it would be lining the pockets of Hennesy/Fight Academy aswell - but in the long term it would help Warren.

Eubank, Benn, Watson etc needed to be SHOWCASED on domestic TV before such money was involved and critically, the sport was very much at the fore front of discussions by the British public.

It was when Sky started to work with other promoters that the big fights occured during the Sports Network Sky years (likes of Harrison vs Brodie).

Of course its not just Britain, but showing the likes of Hopkins/Kessler and then getting a Super Fight would capture the imagination more than even the Lacy fight.

boxingchat wrote:Watch and learn, watch and learn.

tell us then. we can't wait. what channel and what terms?

boxingchat wrote:

Ian 'Mr' McNeilly wrote:I don't believe that exclusive contracts are good for the sport. But we'll see, no doubt.

You're not good for the sport, but we suffer you.

So could you put up a defence on why exclusive contracts are a good thing or at least better than Ian McNeilly?

boxingchat wrote:

Ian 'Mr' McNeilly wrote:I don't believe that exclusive contracts are good for the sport. But we'll see, no doubt.

You're not good for the sport, but we suffer you.

At least Ian writes stuff which is believable. I know which one I'd prefer to have in the sport......

boxingchat wrote:

Ian 'Mr' McNeilly wrote:I don't believe that exclusive contracts are good for the sport. But we'll see, no doubt.

You're not good for the sport, but we suffer you.

What a cretinous comment. It’s clear that exclusive contracts would only do well for the sport if the promoter involved has a commitment to put on the best shows on a consistent basis; however, Warren manages his fighters, too, which necessitates some stage management that simply detracts from the product.

He does this rather successfully (something people seem to forget) but, when wearing his other hat -- promoting exciting cards that draw in viewing figures for ITV -- he has fallen short of the mark. I suppose it’s all subjective, but I would point to the number of times a favourite has actually lost a big fight, the number of pullouts, the lack of consistent 50-50 domestic clashes, the rivalries which went unrequited, and, bar one or two excellent shows, the dull nature and lack of quality of most of the cards as proof of this.

You may disagree, I would probably point out, though, that the market speaks for itself, and it’s rapidly shrinking for Sports Network’s Milking Bandwagon. Although he left Sky for ITV, sighting a return to domestic TV and a return to Saturday evening slots, the main reason was the fact that Sky wanted no more of his alphabet strap bullcrap and one sided in-house productions. They offered him the same deal as everyone else (dates based on card quality and delivering the best match-ups) and he baulked.

Now the same’s happening at ITV. First they shunted the majority of his fights to ITV 4, and now they’re playing hardball with the deal. I would say that weather you agree with my admittedly subjective opinion of the quality of his product, you would probably admit that the market speaks for itself.

It’s a shame you weren’t born in 1960’s Russia: you could have made a decent wage writing for Pravda.

Well said Carbo. But I would say it's not HAPPENING with ITV. The bomb has already dropped. They've been screwed over by their own woeful lack of foresight and savvy. I can't believe negotiations are ongoing instead of dead in the water.

Warren = I'm alright Jack.

Sadly, not so good for boxing. With the raw material he has, Warren has no excuse for not making boxing a popular sport. Instead, the audiences sagged like a pair of old tits.

boxingchat wrote:

Ian 'Mr' McNeilly wrote:I don't believe that exclusive contracts are good for the sport. But we'll see, no doubt.

You're not good for the sport, but we suffer you.

More like FW's not good for the sport. But we've had to suffer his rubbish rematches and crap matchmaking for the last 2 years .

emma wrote:

boxingchat wrote:

Ian 'Mr' McNeilly wrote:I don't believe that exclusive contracts are good for the sport. But we'll see, no doubt.

You're not good for the sport, but we suffer you.

More like FW's not good for the sport. But we've had to suffer his rubbish rematches and crap matchmaking for the last 2 years .

Isn't It Dean Powell whos the matchmaker though?

The trouble is sports network promoter like the easy option. A typical gooner supporter.

Excellent post, Carbo. Being a manager of fighters and at the same time promoting them in risky, or even competitive, fights would appear to be mutually exclusive. It turns the world's greatest sport into a circus.

boxingchat wrote:

Ian 'Mr' McNeilly wrote:I don't believe that exclusive contracts are good for the sport. But we'll see, no doubt.

You're not good for the sport, but we suffer you.

Ah, but you don't suffer me, do you? Like anybody else who doesn't toe the line, BBN is banned from Sports Network shows.

I get on quite well with allegedly personally though - he tries to answer every question and always has time to chat, plenty of quotable stuff. Very knowledgeable too. Yet the ban remains.

As for other matters, fortunately, Carbo has saved me a fair bit of typing.

Can I ask a simple question as a bit of a numpty.
If ITV ditch Warren what is their alternative ?
I'm I dreaming, but is every other British Promotor already contracted to another TV outlet ?
If that be the case, surely this is an all or nothing decision for ITV, and like it or like it not guys, with Khan and Calzaghe in the fold there will be no shortage of takers for Sports Network.

twenty six wrote:Can I ask a simple question as a bit of a numpty.
If ITV ditch Warren what is their alternative ?
I'm I dreaming, but is every other British Promotor already contracted to another TV outlet ?
If that be the case, surely this is an all or nothing decision for ITV, and like it or like it not guys, with Khan and Calzaghe in the fold there will be no shortage of takers for Sports Network.

What is ITV's alternative? Just to get completely out of the sport I'd reckon. Reruns of Midsummer Murders will sadly pull in just as many viewers as the boxing.

jomothepure wrote:

twenty six wrote:Can I ask a simple question as a bit of a numpty.
If ITV ditch Warren what is their alternative ?
I'm I dreaming, but is every other British Promotor already contracted to another TV outlet ?
If that be the case, surely this is an all or nothing decision for ITV, and like it or like it not guys, with Khan and Calzaghe in the fold there will be no shortage of takers for Sports Network.

What is ITV's alternative? Just to get completely out of the sport I'd reckon. Reruns of Midsummer Murders will sadly pull in just as many viewers as the boxing.

From 2008 they've got Live FA Cup and England Internationals

Ian 'Mr' McNeilly wrote:

boxingchat wrote:

Ian 'Mr' McNeilly wrote:I don't believe that exclusive contracts are good for the sport. But we'll see, no doubt.

You're not good for the sport, but we suffer you.

Ah, but you don't suffer me, do you? Like anybody else who doesn't toe the line, BBN is banned from Sports Network shows.

I get on quite well with allegedly allegedly personally though - he tries to answer every question and always has time to chat, plenty of quotable stuff. Very knowledgeable too. Yet the ban remains.

As for other matters, fortunately, Carbo has saved me a fair bit of typing.

the press should boycott the man. his shows aren't worth turning up to anyway. you did right slamming the Calzaghe-Ashira fight / crap world title fights on SN shows in that piece that got you 'in trouble' a year or two back. (presuming that's the one)

let's just hope that the man is shitting his pants looking for a new TV contract to exploit. recent actions like making an effort to make Calzaghe-Taylor/Kessler/Mundine, Enzo-Braithwaite/Cunningham not to mention vowing to make GOOD DOMESTIC FIGHTS (Khan, Arthur, Cookie merrygoround) suggest that he knows he has to come up with better. this is the 3rd time a TV company has been pissed off or fed up with him.

The point I was making - is there is no boxing alternative for ITV.
Would you prefer to see no boxing at all, or SN / ITV continuing their contract ?

twenty six wrote:The point I was making - is there is no boxing alternative for ITV.
Would you prefer to see no boxing at all, or SN / ITV continuing their contract ?

other promoters would be v. v. interested to see ITV offering a 'great fights, no rights' deal to the sport at large, and I think that there is enough quality boxing out there to see ITV through any FW-inspired bald patch...

AFAIK (im sure boxingprat will contradict me if im in error) the SKY arrangement does not tie promoters to sky anymore than it does sky to the promoter... therefore sky and ITV might end up competing for the same cards... more money on the table will at some point trickle down to fighters, meaning competitive fights become more financially attractive.

IMhO, the above scenario would only be good for the sport, we could do with a level playing field. We dont need a 'super-promoter' pissing in our pockets and telling us its raining....

I dont think ITV will be interested in any other fights than Khan. They are a shit channel for sport.

I hope that most here are jumping the gun, compare the rating for Williams vs Harrison 1 with that of "Wrestling Challenge"..... Most Channels would love to get Prime Time Saturday Night ratings of 8 million.

There has been no major controvesy or tradegy since FW's return - although yes, I can see why ITV must be frustrated in the number of withdrawls etc.

However, that shouldn't stop ITV from bailing out of boxing all together... why not look at Stateside. Surely with the controvesy with shows like "Make your play" I cannot see ITV keeping these types of shows much longer.

Surely ITV can see that BIG FiGHTS can still make BIG RATINGS.