Boxing is on the Rise (Again)!
By Eddie Sanchez
Time and again as the cash cows have departed the sport of boxing there have been outcries claiming that boxing is either dying, dead or irrelevant.
Rinse, Recycle, Repeat.
While concern has proven to have a kernel of truth, the casual fan has consistently been rewarded with a new kid on the block. There is nothing wrong with being a casual fan. In fact, one must start as a casual fan before graduating to be a die hard purist who truly understands the nature of the industry.
The industry has had a lineage of stars that have sat in the throne as cash cow almost perfectly. From Mike Tyson, to Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd and Manny and now to Canelo. Casual fans have had someone to root for and a personality that can hijack almost any weekend in the year.
What makes the current climate of the boxing industry so interesting is the era of streaming platforms. DAZN and ESPN+ have provided outlets to not only represent the largest stars such as Canelo Alvarez and the two heavyweight champions, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, but they also provide a service structure that intentionally promotes under-represented boxers.
In the past customers would pay $100 for a PPV, where now there is a monthly service charge to view numerous fights each month. ESPN+ uses a hybrid-model where there is a subscription fee with an additional cost attached to their highest profile fights, but nevertheless, the industry is completely different.
Canelo Alvarez’s success with DAZN is now tied to DAZN subscriptions and retention as opposed to PPV buys which makes an interesting case to see if this is a sustainable model given the politics of boxing which oftentimes have made cross-promotion nearly impossible.
According to the Wall Street Journal, DAZN closed 2019 with 8 million global subscribers, with one million being from the US. These numbers are sure to fluctuate over time, but as DAZN’s pull within the industry widens, they will have opportunities to add to their stable of fighters.
Collaboration is the theme of this new era. MMA fighters are fighting Boxers and Youtube personalities are stepping into the ring. The subscription model enables these types of attractions and has provided a foundation for the modern fan to enjoy the sport better known as the Sweet Science.
What are your thoughts on the current industry climate? Is the subscription model sustainable?
