Sky puts a freeze on PPVs
Sky Sports will not be using Pay Per View as a model to screen boxing for the foreseeable future.
It has been known in the trade for at least a couple of weeks that Sky were to abandon their PPV vehicle - at least temporarily - and the rumour solidified today when a 'senior source' at Sky Sports was quoted in the Daily Express.
“We spend too much time trying to do deals on boxing for a limited return and do not think it’s fair on our audience to ask them to pay more for boxing.
“That is not to say we will never return to pay-per-view. It’s just not right for us at the moment.”
To be frank, boxing must be a complete pain for TV executives in many respects and this has been writ large since November when David Haye crushed Audley Harrison. The match was lucrative for all parties, including Sky, but the non-event left some customers feeling that they had been duped into parting with their money. Bluntly, they expected a 'fight' and didn't get one.
Then the broadcaster decided to withdraw PPV status from Amir Khan v Paul McCloskey, stating that the quality of the undercard could not justify charging its subscribers an extra £14.95 on top of their monthly fee. Team Khan immediately walked - noisily and publicly much to Sky Sports' embarrassment - to nascent subscription channel Primetime. As it turned out, the match was a relative success, grossing around £1 million.
But the final nail in the boxing PPV coffin simply had to be David Haye's dreadful effort against Wladimir Klitschko in Hamburg last month. Once again, the public were sold something which simply didn't happen which, ultimately, TV executives at Sky feel reflects poorly on their company.
Should Sky's withdrawal result in Primetime, Premier Sports or the new, Hertfordshire-registered BoxNation simply offering more PPVs, it's difficult to know how the fan will benefit.
However, Mick Hennessy's success with his Channel 5 debut, where Tyson Fury v Dereck Chisora peaked at 2.9 million viewers, has apparently led to executives there wanting to give the Kent promoter a multi-fight deal. A return to regular terrestrial television to complement the support Sky Sports has given boxing over recent years - which one sincerely hope continues - would offer a positive blend for fans.
