Bob Arum closes deal with CBS/Showtime for Pac-Mosely fight
- Thread starter 2-0-Sixx
- Start date
HBO doesn't make as much money as you might think for PPV fights. The companies like INDemand are the ones that make a grip. Even the cable providers hardly make anything on those in the grand scheme of things. I work for one of the larger cable companies and we only get a 20% discount. Used to be like 33% and back in the day, they were free for just about all the cable company employees. That's all changed, especially with the introduction of HD pay per view.
I hope it means that Showtime is going to get a bigger budget to play with though. They put on great fights and competition is usually good for the viewer, though it sucks if you have to pay 2 subscription fees for non pay per view fights
I hope it means that Showtime is going to get a bigger budget to play with though. They put on great fights and competition is usually good for the viewer, though it sucks if you have to pay 2 subscription fees for non pay per view fights
Awesome Piece on HBO losing Pacquiao to Showtime by Thomas Hauser for Max Boxing called "How HBO Lost Manny Pacquiao".
http://www.maxboxing.com/news/max-boxing-news/how-hbo-lost-manny-pacquiao
Some bits from it:
ultimately promised were 1) advertising spots and live cutaways during the NCAA men’s basketball championship tournament and other CBS Sports programming in April and the first week of May, 2) a four-part countdown series, with either the first or last episode airing on CBS in prime time on a Saturday night, 3) appearances for pay-per-view undercard fighters (such as Christy Martin) on CBS talk shows 4) a May 1st 60 Minutes segment following up on the Pacquiao feature that aired last March, and 5) hosting the CBS Morning Show in Las Vegas on Monday through Friday of fight week.
Also, when HBO produces a 24/7 series to engender pay-per-view buys, the promoter bears the cost of production. That’s true here too. But Top Rank will be given commercial time on CBS during the shows that it can sell to partially underwrite its costs.
In sum, the move to Showtime isn’t simply about choosing one pay-per-view platform over another. It’s about getting the broadest possible exposure for Pacquiao, Pacquiao-Mosley, and boxing. Manny is Top Rank’s vehicle for breaking down some of the barriers that have separated boxing from large segments of the American public for the past 30 years.
Top Rank President Todd DuBoef had made no secret of his interest in exploring options other than HBO for Pacquiao. Indeed, last June, DuBoef stated, “I should have explored making a deal with ESPN for Pacquiao-Clottey. HBO brought nothing to the promotion. They wouldn’t even do a 24/7 series. They did The Road to Dallas as a promo piece. One show. ESPN would have given us four ‘Roads to Dallas’ in 90,000,000 homes. If I had it to do over again, absolutely, I’d discuss Pacquiao-Clottey with ESPN, with CBS, with Showtime. I’m not looking to rock the boat but I am looking to grow the audience.”
On Friday, Arum returned to New York. Early in the afternoon, he telephoned Greenburg and told him that the deal was done and he was taking Pacquiao-Mosley to Showtime and CBS. Greenburg offered a curt response and hung up.
Ross told several staff members about the development. Then he called Al Haymon, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, and a few others, saying that he looked forward to continuing to do business with them in the future.
“Ross was very dejected,” one person said of their conversation. “I felt sorry for him.”
The point person in any overall evaluation of the situation is likely to be Richard Plepler. In all probability, he would work with Michael Lombardo (president of HBO programming and West Coast operations). Ultimately, HBO CEO Bill Nelson could become directly involved.
In recent years, Plepler has been aware of issues within the sports department but he has had more pressing concerns to address.
In November 2010, after a three-part series about HBO was posted on this website, Plepler had separate meetings with New York City Police Department commissioner Ray Kelly (a former chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission) and Edwin Torres (a retired New York State Supreme Court judge currently serving as a member of the athletic commission) to solicit their thoughts on how to revive HBO’s boxing program.
People who care about boxing hope that Plepler will now become more deeply involved in the situation and cast a wider net. He and Lombardo rebuilt HBO’s programming staff on the West Coast after Chris Albrecht’s departure in 2007. They might decide do the same thing with HBO Sports.
A television network can get into boxing for a minimal investment. This isn’t the National Football League. Two other premium cable networks are currently in discussions with promoters about adding boxing to their programming. Hopefully, Pacquiao-Mosley will lead to the return of boxing to terrestrial television as well.
If Miguel Cotto beats Ricardo Mayorga on March 12th, Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito on Showtime-PPV is likely to follow. Strong numbers for Pacquiao-Mosley could lead to ABC-ESPN, NBC-Versus, and Fox-FX pairings for similar ventures. That would break HBO’s control over major pay-per-view shows.
In other words, if the Top Rank-Showtime-CBS alliance is successful, it will mark a seismic shift in the boxing landscape. The be-all-and-end-all for fighters will no longer be a fight on HBO-PPV.
http://www.maxboxing.com/news/max-boxing-news/how-hbo-lost-manny-pacquiao
Some bits from it:
ultimately promised were 1) advertising spots and live cutaways during the NCAA men’s basketball championship tournament and other CBS Sports programming in April and the first week of May, 2) a four-part countdown series, with either the first or last episode airing on CBS in prime time on a Saturday night, 3) appearances for pay-per-view undercard fighters (such as Christy Martin) on CBS talk shows 4) a May 1st 60 Minutes segment following up on the Pacquiao feature that aired last March, and 5) hosting the CBS Morning Show in Las Vegas on Monday through Friday of fight week.
Also, when HBO produces a 24/7 series to engender pay-per-view buys, the promoter bears the cost of production. That’s true here too. But Top Rank will be given commercial time on CBS during the shows that it can sell to partially underwrite its costs.
In sum, the move to Showtime isn’t simply about choosing one pay-per-view platform over another. It’s about getting the broadest possible exposure for Pacquiao, Pacquiao-Mosley, and boxing. Manny is Top Rank’s vehicle for breaking down some of the barriers that have separated boxing from large segments of the American public for the past 30 years.
Top Rank President Todd DuBoef had made no secret of his interest in exploring options other than HBO for Pacquiao. Indeed, last June, DuBoef stated, “I should have explored making a deal with ESPN for Pacquiao-Clottey. HBO brought nothing to the promotion. They wouldn’t even do a 24/7 series. They did The Road to Dallas as a promo piece. One show. ESPN would have given us four ‘Roads to Dallas’ in 90,000,000 homes. If I had it to do over again, absolutely, I’d discuss Pacquiao-Clottey with ESPN, with CBS, with Showtime. I’m not looking to rock the boat but I am looking to grow the audience.”
On Friday, Arum returned to New York. Early in the afternoon, he telephoned Greenburg and told him that the deal was done and he was taking Pacquiao-Mosley to Showtime and CBS. Greenburg offered a curt response and hung up.
Ross told several staff members about the development. Then he called Al Haymon, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, and a few others, saying that he looked forward to continuing to do business with them in the future.
“Ross was very dejected,” one person said of their conversation. “I felt sorry for him.”
The point person in any overall evaluation of the situation is likely to be Richard Plepler. In all probability, he would work with Michael Lombardo (president of HBO programming and West Coast operations). Ultimately, HBO CEO Bill Nelson could become directly involved.
In recent years, Plepler has been aware of issues within the sports department but he has had more pressing concerns to address.
In November 2010, after a three-part series about HBO was posted on this website, Plepler had separate meetings with New York City Police Department commissioner Ray Kelly (a former chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission) and Edwin Torres (a retired New York State Supreme Court judge currently serving as a member of the athletic commission) to solicit their thoughts on how to revive HBO’s boxing program.
People who care about boxing hope that Plepler will now become more deeply involved in the situation and cast a wider net. He and Lombardo rebuilt HBO’s programming staff on the West Coast after Chris Albrecht’s departure in 2007. They might decide do the same thing with HBO Sports.
A television network can get into boxing for a minimal investment. This isn’t the National Football League. Two other premium cable networks are currently in discussions with promoters about adding boxing to their programming. Hopefully, Pacquiao-Mosley will lead to the return of boxing to terrestrial television as well.
If Miguel Cotto beats Ricardo Mayorga on March 12th, Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito on Showtime-PPV is likely to follow. Strong numbers for Pacquiao-Mosley could lead to ABC-ESPN, NBC-Versus, and Fox-FX pairings for similar ventures. That would break HBO’s control over major pay-per-view shows.
In other words, if the Top Rank-Showtime-CBS alliance is successful, it will mark a seismic shift in the boxing landscape. The be-all-and-end-all for fighters will no longer be a fight on HBO-PPV.
Yeah, I read that Hauser piece earlier. Didn't know about all of the detail he spoke on, there was much more to it than I had originally thought.
This seems like a great move for the sport, as far as getting it back into the mainstream...especially getting the opportunity to have the world's most famous fighter spearheading the movement. Doesn't hurt that Pacquiao fights are generally entertaining.
This seems like a great move for the sport, as far as getting it back into the mainstream...especially getting the opportunity to have the world's most famous fighter spearheading the movement. Doesn't hurt that Pacquiao fights are generally entertaining.