Showtime Boxing will reportedly see its 38-year run as one of the top broadcasters in the world of boxing come to an official close at the end of this year.
For three decades there were two dominant forces when it came to the broadcast side of boxing, HBO Boxing and Showtime Boxing. The two subscription cable providers often had a roster that featured many of the best fighters in the world and promoted most of the biggest-selling pay-per-view events in the sport’s history.
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However, the industry has been going through a major shift, and sports networks like ESPN, DAZN, and FOX have taken up a greater share of the boxing broadcast pie. It has led to some surprising decisions for the parent companies of HBO and Showtime.
In 2018, Warner Media decided that boxing was not worth the hassle and shut down HBO Boxing. Ending a legendary tenure in the industry. Despite one of its top competitors being out of the business, there have been rumors that recent struggles for Showtime Boxing may set it on a similar path. Well, that said news was seemingly confirmed on Tuesday.
Showtime Boxing ends broadcast run that began in 1986
Sports Business Journal was the first to report that the broadcaster’s parent company Paramount will be shutting down Showtime Sports, which includes the boxing department, at the end of the year.
“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.”
– Statement fro Paramount Global
Stephen Espinoza, who has led Showtime Boxing since 2011 will be one of the most notable in what is expected to be an “undetermined number of layoffs” following the news.
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Showtime Sports began in March of 1986 with a matchup between legend Marvin Hagler and John Mugabi. During its time broadcasting boxing bouts, it is believed that the company aired 2,000 bouts, including Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield and the massively successful Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao in 2015.