"Platforms Wars" - Who wins???

[Scipio2009]

Top Rank gets pushed off of/relegated by ESPN's full throated committment to MMA/UFC (where they've already put tenfold the money that Top Rank ended up with).

DAZN still doesn't have the depth of quality matchups to convince any critical mass of people to sign up for the service at $100.

PBC has the money, depth of talent, and basic broadcast reach to be the leading force, right now, for basically the next decade.

2008, 2012, 2016, and a jump on the 2020 cycle (Lorenzo Simpson and Joey Spencer to start with).

[Curt Henning]

I love the notion that espn has an advantage with "Tv channels and a big name people know" by Robbie barrett....lol...this is the same guy that will turn around and tell you cable network is dying

is he not aware of the downsizing espn had to do in the last couple of years...tons of people laid off from office workers to on air personalities....lol...it got so bad they had to charge for stuff that used to come regular with your subscription to cable

but I guess cbs and fox aren't known channels/brands right? lol

[Eff Pandas]

... In fact: your solution is that Showtime and/or DAZN should just give up their top "assets" (Wilder, AJ) only in order to give us the fight we want... yes, for sure...

Joshua isn't a DAZN asset quite yet.

He's on a fight by fight matching deal. If DAZN offers him a long term Canelo type deal at some point that could & likely would complicate things.

Wilder isn't a Showtime asset.

He's a Haymon Sports asset who admittedly may have some contract with Showtime that keeps Wilder on Showtime but publicly Team Wilder has denied that & claimed free agency. Based on Haymon guys fighting all over at various times I have no reason to doubt Team Wilder.

[MDPopescu]

Joshua isn't a DAZN asset quite yet.

He's on a fight by fight matching deal. If DAZN offers him a long term Canelo type deal at some point that could & likely would complicate things.

Wilder isn't a Showtime asset.

He's a Haymon Sports asset who admittedly may have some contract with Showtime that keeps Wilder on Showtime but publicly Team Wilder has denied that & claimed free agency. Based on Haymon guys fighting all over at various times I have no reason to doubt Team Wilder.

... yes: "Finkel also said that if the Showtime deal is finalized it wouldn't prevent a Joshua fight or Fury rematch on other platforms. (ESPN, Mar 19)

[Eff Pandas]

... yes: "Finkel also said that if the Showtime deal is finalized it wouldn't prevent a Joshua fight or Fury rematch on other platforms. (ESPN, Mar 19)

Keyword is IF. IF my aunt had a **** she'd be my uncle.

Right now Wilder is free. Spence is free. Joshua has outs. And Bud would be the hardest guy to bend into a big fight. Thats the reality today.

[Scipio2009]

I see your point here: "they're all shit, except the one I love"...

(my question "who wins?" wasn't addressed to the fan boys of a certain platform... it was more about the fast changing broadcast environment, tbh...)

That's not what I said at all.

ESPN just paid up something like $400m+ per year to lock up the whole slate of UFC events (ESPN+, ESPN, and UFCPPV through ESPN+); plus the shoulder programming and library push. If you honestly think that ESPN is going to commit that much to the UFC and then keep Top Rank around as they continue to not deliver, that's on you.

And, simply put, DAZN doesn't have the depth to do much of anything right now and who knows when that'll change.

Prograis-Taylor, Canelo-Andrade (I like sealing divisions; sue me), and I guess Joshua-Usyk. Throw Golovkin in there if you want to, the premium cable level main events are lacking, nevermind fights that would be PPV.

[MDPopescu]

Keyword is IF. IF my aunt had a **** she'd be my uncle.

Right now Wilder is free. Spence is free. Joshua has outs. And Bud would be the hardest guy to bend into a big fight. Thats the reality today.

... by "free" you mean "promotional free agent"?... it's a sophism, though...

[MDPopescu]

That's not what I said at all.

ESPN just paid up something like $400m+ per year to lock up the whole slate of UFC events (ESPN+, ESPN, and UFCPPV through ESPN+); plus the shoulder programming and library push. If you honestly think that ESPN is going to commit that much to the UFC and then keep Top Rank around as they continue to not deliver, that's on you.

And, simply put, DAZN doesn't have the depth to do much of anything right now and who knows when that'll change.

Prograis-Taylor, Canelo-Andrade (I like sealing divisions; sue me), and I guess Joshua-Usyk. Throw Golovkin in there if you want to, the premium cable level main events are lacking, nevermind fights that would be PPV.

OK, in the short term you are right...

... but as I said: my question was more about the fast changing broadcast environment...

... now, there is more money than ever in pro boxing -- even if the return of investment is quite low...

... in my opinion, in the mid term, the boxing business would have to secure a viable symbiosis between the "TV broadcast" and the "online" -- because the big advertising money are still on TV... well...

[Eff Pandas]

... by "free" you mean "promotional free agent"?... it's a sophism, though...

What else are we supposed to be judging this on then?

Spence isn't with a network or promoter. Wilder isn't with a network or promoter. I get that being linked with Haymon Sports is a thing, but lets not act like it has the same handcuffs attached to it as being signed to a network or promoter cuz it doesn't appear to be the case.

Everything preventing a Haymon Sports athlete from working with a non-Haymon Sports promoter or network is an in theory thing more then a proven thing.

I KNOW DAZN isn't likely to let Joshua go fight on Showtime without a matching rights battle or at least an agreement of some sort with Joshua &/or Matchroom.

I KNOW Bob isn't going to let Bud fight on Fox PPV unless Spence vs Bud is a lock to do 1.5M buys minimum.

I don't know that Haymon Sports won't let DAZN work with Wilder for a fight or a few fights. I don't know that Haymon Sports won't let ESPN/Bob work with Spence.

In fact I'll even say that Al Haymon must either not be running Haymon Sports or he's a piece of sh^t manager if he's not allowing fighters to explore their possible best money interests & it goes against the whole job description of being a manager.

[MDPopescu]

... by "free" you mean "promotional free agent"?... it's a sophism, though...

What else are we supposed to be judging this on then?

Spence isn't with a network or promoter. Wilder isn't with a network or promoter. ...

I get that being linked with Haymon Sports is a thing, but lets not act like it has the same handcuffs attached to it as being signed to a network or promoter cuz it doesn't appear to be the case.

Everything preventing a Haymon Sports athlete from working with a non-Haymon Sports promoter or network is an in theory thing more then a proven thing.

I KNOW DAZN isn't likely to let Joshua go fight on Showtime without a matching rights battle or at least an agreement of some sort with Joshua &/or Matchroom.

I KNOW Bob isn't going to let Bud fight on Fox PPV unless Spence vs Bud is a lock to do 1.5M buys minimum.

I don't know that Haymon Sports won't let DAZN work with Wilder for a fight or a few fights. I don't know that Haymon Sports won't let ESPN/Bob work with Spence.

In fact I'll even say that Al Haymon must either not be running Haymon Sports or he's a piece of sh^t manager if he's not allowing fighters to explore their possible best money interests & it goes against the whole job description of being a manager.

... I really don't have anything to say against Al Haymon (or his boxing company)!!!...