Ward vs. Kov 2 130K PPV Buys... Everyone loses

[cuban23]

The numbers are coming in and according to Chris Mannix the event did worse than the first fight. Which means Kovalev is projected to make around $700K (probably less). Roc Nation also lost big money again, because they paid Ward $6.5M and this is clearly not enough to recuperate that.

 

[Cheese]

FUCK Mayweather.

 

[BoxingMMA]

I'm glad, these two fights had so much potential and they ruined them by a wrong decision in the first one and stopping the fight instead of giving kovalev 5 minutes to recuperate. A fight that would probably have been won by ward so we would have had an epic rubber match. Taken away by shit referees and shit judges. Fuck em. Not to mention this fight had no business being a PPV fight at all.

 

[DeJulez]

I think Mayweather-McGregor took the steam out this fight from a casual interest perspective, but Mayweather announcement or not, I didn't see this fight selling more than 200k.

 

[HardasNAILZ]

The promotion was absolutely dreadful. I'm surprised it even did that many buys.

Also, Ward took Kovalevs soul. He finished.

 

[Minowafanatic]

The rematch could have been a very good sell, I mean, the fight seems so easy to promote from loads of different angles. They just did a shit job of promoting it.

I don't think Floyd v McGregor hurt it all that much, as casual fans had no interest in this fight to begin with.

 

[Strange King]

Floyd being alive killed this fight

 

[Seano]

Boxing is doing fine but it is dying on HBO. HBO is sinking boxing on its network.

Ward and Kovalev may be top fighters but it wasn't a PPV fight. These guys are not mainstream stars.

I've said before, at this point, it'd be best for everyone for HBO to get out of the boxing biz. If you're going to make every competitive matchup a PPV, then don't bother.

 

[Seano]

The rematch could have been a very good sell, I mean, the fight seems so easy to promote from loads of different angles. They just did a shit job of promoting it.

I don't think Floyd v McGregor hurt it all that much, as casual fans had no interest in this fight to begin with.

There was nothing they could do to sell it. No one likes Ward. Kovalev fans are youtube highlight watchers.

 

[Minowafanatic]

Hearn talks from the 5:20 to 9:40 on the lack of promotion for the bout

 

[PHATV]

Good lord. I was one of less than 200k? Is that for sure the legit number?

After the first bout, I would have expected more buys, not less.

 

[RizinSon88]

Unless Ward actually challenges Wilder or Joshua, he shouldn't be on PPV again...not even for a unification match with Stevenson.

 

[The Adder]

Ward was never popular. Kovalev is not popular. This fight was always for the hardcores and never should have been a ppv.

 

[CatchnShoot]

Proud to be one of the few

I always knew I was special

 

[Seano]

People on this forum probably made up a measurable % of those buys.

 

[cottagecheesefan]

Hearn talks from the 5:20 to 9:40 on the lack of promotion for the bout

Hearn is awesome.

edit: He is also 100% right. Where was Jay Z in all this? No promo at all

 

[BoxingMMA]

This is the type of fight that forces people to pirate shit. It's one of those situations where as a hardcore boxer fan you know you have to see it simply because you just have to. At the same time you are perplexed as to why HBO is making this a PPV fight when it has no business being one and you don't want to promote such shit behavior so you really can't buy it.

So let's say we look for alternative ways.

 

[chiefwiggum]

I think us boxing fans finally are tired of the ppv.format. There's not alot of ppv worthy fights out there.

Delahoya, Tyson, Mayweather, paq days are over. Even on say delahoya cards you would get Morales on an ilundercard and w couple other good fight. Now it's shit until the main event.
I will always love boxing #1 but it's not worth the money.


I feel bad for Kovalev.

 

[Sunfish]

Do you honestly watch the start of UFC cards unless joe rogan tells you they're both awesome, if so its all just bleed brah.

You're seriously saying you've never seen 4 bullshit grappling matches followed by a gsp fight?

 

[Kuggk]

I think us boxing fans finally are tired of the ppv.format. There's not alot of ppv worthy fights out there.

Delahoya, Tyson, Mayweather, paq days are over. Even on say delahoya cards you would get Morales on an ilundercard and w couple other good fight. Now it's shit until the main event.
I will always love boxing #1 but it's not worth the money.


I feel bad for Kovalev.

Why?