Top Rank boss Bob Arum believes Showtime’s spell in boxing is coming to an end, just like former rivals HBO.
Last month, HBO announced that they would be hanging up the gloves to their association with the sport following 45 years of broadcasts.
Arum now says it’s just a matter of time until Showtime follow HBO.
“Both HBO and Showtime are competing for viewers with Netflix. So every dollar that they have has to go into what they’re really great at – providing entertainment. HBO certainly has done it. They have really, really good, good programming. And so does Showtime. So I’m predicting also that within the next year Showtime will be exiting from boxing because, as great as they’ve been for boxing, they don’t belong. Does Fox belong in boxing? Of course, they do. They’re a regular network that has a lot of sports. ESPN is perfect for boxing. That’s where it’s going.
“The world never stays the same. It always changes … their time has now passed,” Arum told Sirius XM Boxing.
Arum’s admission comes just hours after rumors began of HBO extending their coverage, if only for a short while.
The general consensus was that Danny Jacobs v Sergey Derevyanchenko would be their final event. That was until a clash between Dmitry Bivol and Jean Pascal was confirmed for November. on HBO.
Listen to Bob Arum on Showtime’s future in boxing here:
.@BobArum tells @CommishRandyG @gerrycooney that within the next year, Showtime will follow HBO out the door when it comes to live #boxing programming. pic.twitter.com/xuxsk3mSBJ
— SiriusXM Boxing (@SiriusXMBoxing) October 16, 2018
At the Fights airs Mondays and Fridays from 6-8p ET on the first and only nationally-broadcast combat radio channel SiriusXM RUSH 93.
The show is hosted by former New York State athletic commissioner Randy Gordon and former #1-ranked Heavyweight contender Gerry Cooney.
