Established in the boxing business since 1986, Showtime has been at the forefront of legendary pay-per-view events featuring titans such as Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and Manny Pacquiao. In 2023 alone, Showtime has produced three blockbuster PPVs and is poised to deliver at least two more high-profile bouts: Errol Spence Jr. vs. Terence Crawford, and Canelo Alvarez vs. Jermell Charlo.
Stephen Espinoza, Showtime’s president of sports and event programming, has played a critical role in shaping the series of shows presented by Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions. Espinoza recently revealed some intricacies of the PPV process in an interview with JohnWallStreet, a sports business publication. One of the key issues he highlighted was the significant delay in arranging much-anticipated fights such as Spence vs. Crawford due to rampant illegal streaming.
Illegal streaming, Espinoza explained, complicates the projection of revenues due to its unpredictability. According to him, if fighters’ financial expectations cannot be met because of revenue loss to digital piracy, fights often fail to materialize. Espinoza estimated that illegal streaming could be slashing PPV buys by a staggering 30 to 40%. Further, he highlighted the limitations of sponsorship avenues due to brands’ hesitance in associating with the violence inherent in boxing.
The fight between Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia earlier this year proved that risk can indeed reap rewards. This bout surpassed the one-million buy marker, a feat not seen since the Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennadiy Golovkin II fight in 2018. According to Espinoza, the event was a hit even among first-time casual fans, indicating that despite the challenge of illegal streaming, the boxing PPV market still packs a powerful punch.
Image Credit: Sky Sports