PPV Numbers Are Down Across The Board

[Strongback]

In recent times it has been reported that Mayweather v Maidana did disappointing numbers as did Pacquiao v Rios. Cotto v Martinez was another damp squib.  That's the top three PPV stars having difficulties.

Canelo v Lara only did something like 350,000 and there have been reports going back months the UFC's PPV numbers have gone drastically south.


When asked in the last few days if Cotto's next fight will be PPV Arum had the following to say:

“I don’t think it will be,” Arum said to Dan Rafael of ESPN. “I think we have to start doing more live premium television shows, so I don’t think this will be on pay-per-view. It would be on HBO. We are meeting with HBO this week in Las Vegas and we’ll be talking about it. We have to realize that pay-per-view, no matter if it’s boxing, MMA or wrestling, the numbers are way down. People aren’t buying the pay-per-view like they used to buy. You can see it in Cotto-Martinez.”


Great news for boxing as a sport but does it make it even harder to make the big fights as the money just isn't there?

Maybe it's just a foretelling that Cotto will be fighting a gimme in December before Canelo in the Spring.

Thoughts?

[milkyboy]

I don't know! Maybe the public are sick of promoters and tv companies milking their cash cows.

It might mean that the 'superstars' might have to take a paycut, poor things but they still have to fight someone. Personally, I think ppv sucks and the prices in the US are astronomical... They pretty much guaranteed making a niche market at that price point.

In the longer run, the more people who get to see the big fights the better it is for the popularity of the sport.

[bellchees]

Thats what happens when you marginalise the sport. I refuse the prices over here but the American prices are absolute madness, $70 for a Mayweather fight! Boxing would have more stars and more money for everyone involved (with the exception of a handful of fighters) if it had a bigger fanbase, how does someone get into boxing these days when it just isn't a mainstream sport.

[Atila]

In the U.S. they have average fights on PPV. Fights like Pacquiao v Mosley, Floyd v Ortiz etc.. were all on PPV and they didn't deserve to be. Fights like Hagler v Hearns or Leonard v Duran etc... are PPV fights. PPV used to be for special fights, special events not for a big name fighter to give us some regular title defense.

Promoters have been taking us for a ride for years now. Maybe people are finally waking up.

[Valero's Conscience]

I think it's also down to PPV's increasing in both quantity and price.

Before it seemed only the really big fights were PPV but now it seems they turn pretty any fight into one.

I think they need to do less of them and stack the card a little more so the interest is greater.

[TopHat24/7]

The Yanks also get really ripped off on their PPVs.

We complain over here, but isn't it something like $50-70 over there??!

[owen10ozzy]

The problem is the sheer amount of PPV fights at the moment; every man and his dog appear to be on PPV when really it should be kept for huge/significant fights..

Cotto v Martinez...one guy wasn't a true middlweight...the other had barely been in the ring and fans weren't even sure he was the best in the division any longer...

Mayweather vs Maidana ...who wanted this fight over Bradley or Pacman...no one..

Could go on and on! The fact is that for 2 years most of the world has been in a recession; yet not only are sports providers asking us to pay $20 -$30 or if your over here £10-£20 in monthly costs for our sports channels they then want another £16/$70 for events they consider to be special (after all that is what PPV was when it first came about - one off huge events)... that's fine if they are one off and special but they no longer are..

Cotto vs Martinez
Canelo vs Lara
Angulo vs Canelo
Bradley vs Pacman
Mayweather vs Maidana
Froch vs Groves
Bradley vs Marquez
Pacman vs Rios
Mayweather vs Canelo
Mayweather vs Guerrero

That's the PPV fights I can think of off the top of my head which have been on since May 2013 ...


You now have Arum saying he realises numbers are down across the board and Cotto wont be on PPV next time...and Showtime declaring they will no longer release the PPV numbers because of the sideshow that comes with it...but you can be certain of two things...

1) Soon as Cotto steps in with Chavez, Canelo or Mayweather it will be back to PPV
2) As soon as showtime hit the 1 million buys barrier it will release it's figures once more

[Dipper Brown]

Seems a good thread as any to post this, Boxrec has Cotto stated to fight in Vegas Dec 13th.

Now, if this fight is a keep busy and not PPV you'd think the fight would be in New York where Cotto's fan base is as guaranteed to get a good gate. Does this mean his fight in Vegas will in fact be Canelo?

Or have Boxrec just jumped the gun on this one hoping they'd guess right?

Let's all have a brainstorm

[Guest]

Khan to jump up to LM and face him as the lad's crackers and no-one wants to fight him ("Khan ducked by everyone" shocker)

[jimdig]

Froch v groves 900,000+80,000 at the venue. Maybe the title should be "U.S. PPV figures down across the board".

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