Breaking: PBC Announces A Multi-Year Deal With Amazon Prime
In some breaking news, Al Haymon’s PBC has announced a multi-year agreement with Amazon Prime Video.
The news means that PBC has a new network which will broadcast their boxing fights starting in spring. The deal could not have come at a better time following Showtime’s decision to exit combat sports at the end of 2023.
Showtime Leaves
“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. Showtime will continue to air and support the remaining 2023 boxing slate and honor obligations through the end of the year,” Paramount Global
“The company’s decision is not a reflection of the work we have done in recent years, nor of our long and proud history. … Unfortunately, in a rapidly evolving media marketplace, the company has had to make difficult choices allocating resources, resetting priorities and reshaping its content offering. While today’s news is certainly difficult and disappointing, it is entirely out of our control,” Stephen Espinoza
The deal means that PBC will keep their strong stable of fighters. This currently includes Canelo Alvarez and Gervonta Davis to name a few. The aim will be to continue the momentum that was set this year. PBC produced three fights that generated a gate of over $20 million: Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia, Errol Spence Jr. vs Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez vs. Jermell Charlo. Meanwhile, the Davis and Garcia fight was the highest-grossing event of this year.
PBC’s Announcement
“Prime Video will distribute PBC’s industry-leading pay-per-view (PPV) events in the US, with the first event anticipated for March 2024. PBC PPV fights will be available for all viewers to purchase, regardless of Prime membership. In the US and select countries, Prime Video will exclusively stream a PBC Championship Boxing series of events, showcasing top matchups among boxing’s current and rising stars,” PBC
The news is great for boxing fans, given that the increased competition will improve the standards of boxing. There was a danger that fighters could leave PBC. That could have meant them crossing over to DAZN and Top Rank, thus creating a monopoly over the sport. At the same time, however, there is a danger that boxers suffer. If Amazon Prime limits the amount they put into the sport, it could result in fighters being weeded out.
The primary benefit of Showtime was that fighters could build themselves up from fighting on undercards to becoming PPV stars. That naturally requires patience and the ability to suffer losses on fighters. Nevertheless, if fighters can forge a solid reputation, then the possibilities are endless. Amazon Prime has a subscriber base of 167 million in the US alone. And that can make fighters develop a much bigger fanbase. In reality, it is too early to tell. But based on the potential, it could be a game changer for the sport.
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