PPV & The Never Ending Money Wheel

PPV & The Never Ending Money Wheel

As we head into yet another Sky Box Office presentation this weekend, the first of several more we have coming our way for the remainder of the year, I think we need to explore what we actually get for our subscription.

There is that argument that we don’t just get boxing for that subscription, but many people do subscribe just for the boxing. But boxing, although the UFC are now testing those waters, seems to be unique in that we have to pay extra to watch the big fights and even the not so big fights.

I’ve made this point before, but when Manchester City play Liverpool, we are not asked to pay an additional fee. We didn’t have to pay extra for The Ashes or the Cricket World Cup, every other sport we get the full package, so why are we continously being asked to pay even more for the right to view what we should be getting as part of our subscription.

What should be a PPV fight, something very special, without question the winner of the fight should be in doubt. It needs a good back story, superstars of the sport clashing to determine ultimate supremacy. Add in a decent undercard with mostly even money fights, that really should be a given.

Some recent examples where it fits that criteria, Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquaio you couldn’t really argue with that being on PPV. Anthony Joshua against Wladimir Klitschko, and with the controversy from the first fight, Carl Froch’s rematch with George Groves are all in my opinion fights which you couldn’t really complain about paying extra for.

Vasyl Lomachenko headlines this weekend’s card taking on Luke Campbell at the O2 Arena in London. Lomachenko is without doubt one of the best fighters on the planet, but that said does his fight with Campbell fit the PPV quality check. I would say no, Lomachenko is around 1/20 to win, the odds say we are unlikely to see a competitive fight.

In regards to the undercard fights, Hughie Fury and Alexander Povetkin looks evenly matched, while Charlie Edwards and Joseph Buatsi are strong favourites to win their fights, Edwards at 3/10 while Buatsi is the 1/80 betting favourite.

Lomachenko is the obvious attraction, a true master of his craft, but is that enough to warrant the card being a PPV offering. If the odds are to be believed how many ‘proper’ fights will we really get to see throughout the evening.

To be fair there have been far worse PPV shows, but does that make it right. It’s not me hating on the fight, it’s just questioning the need for it to be on PPV. That is a crucial point for me, is there a need to charge extra or is it milking the loyal subscribers.

It looks like we have more to come, Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz Jr run it back in December. That’s one fight few will argue warrants a PPV tag. But if rumours are true, Josh Taylor and Regis Prograis looks to be also set for Sky Box Office.

Despite Taylor vs Prograis being a fight between two quality fighters and with a heavyweight showdown between Derek Chisora and Joseph Parker set for the co-main event, it shouldn’t be anywhere near PPV.

Taylor vs Prograis is an excellent fight, but it’s more a good trade fight and not worthy of being on PPV, neither fighter despite their obvious quality has a profile high enough to headline a Box Office presentation.

I noticed some people on social media pointing out that they are both 50/50 fights, which of course they are, and that somehow ticks the PPV box.

But shouldn’t that be a basic ask for any subscriber, to expect to see competitive sport as part of their monthly subscription. To me it’s like paying for a meal, but then being fed scraps and expected to pay extra for a decent main course.

Billy Joe Saunders signed with Matchroom a few weeks ago, he’s crossed the great divide for one reason, the big fights. The likes of Saul Alvarez, Callum Smith and Gennady Golovkin are all targets for Saunders, those fights if made will only head in one direction.

Nothing will change in the immediate future, the PPV cards will keep coming on the various different platforms. What should be an exception is fast becoming normal practice, and the most worrying thing is the apparent apathy towards it.