Matchroom boxing move from Sky to DAZN

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SilentProf

Well-known member
I’m surprised this hasn’t been mentioned yet, but how do you all feel about Matchroom boxing moving to DAZN?

It’s been an open secret for a while. Eddie Hearn wanted more control over his shows. This deal seems to give him just that, with bigger budgets allowing fight cards that would have been PPV on Sky to be included in the DAZN subscription. It’s currently £1.99 per month but expect this to increase before long. It’s $9.99 per month in the US.

Anthony Joshua has one fight left on his Sky contract, but no doubt DAZN will be bidding to bring him on board too.
 
PPV is ridiculous. Started off with the biggest high profile and good ights, but now even the joke fights between a retired has-been and a you tuber nobody are on PPV.

I have a pretty dim view of the way the whole sport is run. Whether or not this change is good or bad, I think boxing is a mess.
 
I think when the big fights were easier to access and more people would watch they became bigger occasions. The excitement in the pub watching Bruno, Lennox, Benn, Collins, Prince Naseem , Watson, McGuigan, Tyson, Witherspoon et al 80s/90s (other boxers were also available lol) was palpable. As it’s gone further behind the ppv paywall and more belts get added it’s become less of an event I think. You gave to be really into boxing to pay now and casual fans like me have turned off so to speak. Of course my original era was Hearns, Hagler, Duran, Leonard late 70s/ ealry 80s was even rarer treat. Maybe it’s just a perception. I also think the squabbling started by the likes of Riddick Bowe and now continued by the Wilders etc of this world and their moneymen /lawyers has diluted the casual fans interest further. A circus now rather than a great sporting event.
 
Whilst DAZN is £1.99 a month it's great value for fans of boxing as a sport and not just the 'names' that rise to the top.
I do like some of the build up material, though the over the top ass-licking of the likes of Canelo is a bit sickening.
Don't think their commentators are up to par in a lot of cases, but they will likely learn.
Their streaming can be top notch but there's been occasions when it's been jittery - and I've measured my bandwidth and it isn't me for sure.
When the price rises (as it inevitably will as Hearn will want a big slice of pie) it will depend on the bouts - I'm not paying a huge monthly fee for his knockabout fights.
DAZN wants to be the lead player in NFL, Cricket, MMA, NBA along with Boxing and Gaming etc, so again, they will have afee for it all and then I'll decide if I'm in or out.
 
You have some good points. I can’t see it getting too expensive for just the boxing though. It’s only £9.99 per month in the US including Canelo’s fights. From Hearn’s interviews, it looks like his deal is a fixed amount to put on the best shows possible including hiring the commentators and running the production side, so I expect the usual Sky Sports boxing pundits to all sign up pretty soon. As for the stream quality, it’s been great for me. Canelo v Saunders would have tested the servers and that one was perfect.
 
it really is a cracking deal for all involved -

A lot more uk fighters on American shows and vice versa.

Higher purses for guys/gals.

A lot cheaper then Sky and with a whole new broadcasting team and broadcasting setup. More and more fighters are signing with matchroom so the value and cards should be getting better. Fair play to Eddie with what he has done.
 
zorro_mfc said:
Exactly the likes of Bruno and mcguigan were household names as the nation watched their fights in their millions.

but now most people would struggle to name most of our top fighters.
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That's some nostalgic memory selection right there. Bruno boxed McCall at Wembley for the world title in the mid 90's. 23.000 people attended.

Joshua sells Wembley out.
 
Steer said:
PPV is ridiculous. Started off with the biggest high profile and good ights, but now even the joke fights between a retired has-been and a you tuber nobody are on PPV.

I have a pretty dim view of the way the whole sport is run. Whether or not this change is good or bad, I think boxing is a mess.
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Pay per view is such an outdated model too yet people still lap it up. The mind boggles.
 
Should be excellent for boxing. The DAZN coverage has been excellent so far and they are now set to be showing live boxing week after week. The £1.99 subscription is ridiculous at the moment, but if they put it up to around £9.99 that will still be great value when you consider how much boxing they will be showing. There's also now a chance for Sky to link up with different promoters.

As far as boxing goes, it's never been better. There's plenty of fights that can sell stadiums out and the Heavyweight scene is fantastic - especially in Britain. You've also just had Josh Taylor become undisputed champion at light-welterweight, although the fight wasn't that well publicised. There's also some great British coaching talent and women's boxing is starting to take off. Social media is playing an important role and it's very easy to follow the various personalities and latest dramas online.

Boxing is the number one sport for me, it beats football as both a sporting challenge and form of entertainment. Football is generally very predictable and overexposed which has long diminished the excitement of the sport. There's also very few personalities involved. Boxing is the opposite. It's probably the only sport where you can be watching a fight as neutral and regularly end up on the edge of your seat.
 
Randy said:
Pay per view is such an outdated model too yet people still lap it up. The mind boggles.
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And in America They get robbed for a min of 50 60 dollars every week. for even worse fights than we have. Between WWE,UFC and Boxing they must spend an absolute fortune. On Dazn they can pay 99 dollars a year for a years subscription and save a fortune.
 
Top boxers in this country were household names. Now I would struggle to name many outside the Top heavyweights. All down to PPV which I won't watch.
Even Mayweather versus some skinny blogger is on ppv 😲
 
It’s still going with Frank Warren’s fighters but he has a very poor stable overall. It’s never been value for money.
 
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