Tag: Showtime Sports

Showtime Sports to shut down at the end of 2023

Showtime SportsIn a bit of news that is sure to make UFC CEO Dana White happy, Showtime Sports will officially…

Showtime Sports

In a bit of news that is sure to make UFC CEO Dana White happy, Showtime Sports will officially shut down after nearly 40 years of delivering world-class boxing and MMA.

The news comes weeks removed from an initial report claiming that Showtime Sports would end its run in 2024. That no longer appears to be the case with Paramount President and CEO Chris McCarthy sending an email to employees confirming that they would no longer produce sports at the end of 2023, bringing an end to world-class boxing and Bellator MMA on the platform.

“As we continue to dedicate a larger percentage of our resources toward premium scripted series that drive subscribers for us in both Pay TV and SVOD, SHOWTIME will not be moving forward with boxing or other content produced by the SHOWTIME Sports and Event Program Team,” McCarthy wrote to employees via email. “The company’s decision isn’t a reflection of the work the team and our partners have done, rather a reality of the world evolving and our shifting content priorities.”

After Producing 750 Live Events, It’s the End of an era for showtime sports

Paramount, the parent company of Showtime, also released a statement, confirming the end of an era that produced 750 live events and 2,000 bouts.

“As we evolve our strategy to more efficiently allocate resources and align our content offering across the business, we’ve made the difficult decision not to move forward with boxing and other content produced by the Showtime sports team. Showtime will continue to air and support the remaining 2023 boxing slate and honor obligations through the end of the year,” Paramount said in a statement.

The first-ever Showtime boxing card aired on March 10, 1986, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and featured a middleweight title bout between ‘Marvelous’ Marvin Hagler and John ‘The Beast’ Mugabi. During its run, Showtime produced the two biggest pay-per-views in combat sports history. Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao brought in 4.6 million in sales in 2015, while Mayweather’s matchup with UFC star Conor McGregor did 4.4 million in sales two years later.

After hearing of the initial rumors that Showtime Sports could be shutting down, Dana White shared his honest opinion of the product’s production values. White also saw it as an opportunity to take a shot at Showtime Sports President Stephen Espinoza whom he worked with while co-promoting McGregor’s fight with Mayweather.

“That’s incredibly unfortunate,” White sarcastically told reporters at a press event in September. “Production of that show was fantastic. The guy who runs Showtime Boxing is a great human being. It’s unfortunate to hear this. F*ck Espinoza, and it’s about time that sh*tty product is off the air.”

Jake Paul Reveals He Has Made Over $40 Million Competing in Boxing in 2021

Jake PaulSince turning to the sport of boxing, Youtube sensation Jake Paul has been the talking point in the world of combat sports. It’s easy to see why after making a substantial amount of money in 2021. Forbes conducted a series of the highest paid Youtube stars for 2021, in which Paul placed No. 2 on […]

Jake Paul

Since turning to the sport of boxing, Youtube sensation Jake Paul has been the talking point in the world of combat sports.

It’s easy to see why after making a substantial amount of money in 2021.

Forbes conducted a series of the highest paid Youtube stars for 2021, in which Paul placed No. 2 on the list. The 24-year-old has estimated earnings of $40 million from his boxing career, also collecting an additional $5 million from his videos, endorsements, and other businesses on the side.

Since then, Jake Paul has revealed the $40 million estimations were slightly lower than what he earned for the year.

Jake Paul Comments on Forbes List

“True story on my momma. So my dad called me today and asked if the numbers that were reported today were inflated,” Paul wrote on his Instagram story. “He said ’I knew you made close to that, but did you really make that?

“The answer was, ‘Yes, dad and in fact the numbers are slightly low.’ Mind you, I don’t lie to my dad and he knows everything about my life. Even my brother thought the numbers were lower (according to my dad’s conversation with him). A lot of times Forbes inflates the number made. In 2018 when I made the list, I made $17 million and they reported $22 million I believe. On this day, they are actually behind, and the numbers are actually low. Most celebs would say, ‘Thank the Lord I’m so blessed,’ but I say any regular motherf*cker could do this sh*t if you a sicko and ready to die for your cause.”

The “Problem Child” unquestionably made his presence known in not only the world of boxing but in MMA too. Paul ended the year with a (3-0) record, including two stoppages victories over former MMA champions, in Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley.

Paul made it a quick night for Ben Askren under the Triller banner knocking the respected wrestler unconscious in the first round. Shortly after, he signed with Showtime, meaning they would take over as his promoter.

The credibility of Paul’s opponents has consistently been questioned between the ropes. Still, in September, he gained respect after earning a split decision victory over former UFC champion and knockout puncher Tryon Woodley. A fight that generated close to 500,000 PPV buys.

Four months later, Paul was met with Woodley for the second time, which resulted in Woodley faceplanting the canvas in round six. While Jake Paul added another viral knockout to his forever-growing collection.

It’s still unknown who Paul will compete against next, with the Ohio-born fighter calling out names such as Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier and Nate Diaz. Whoever Paul ends up fighting next can expect a healthy payday.

Who do you want to see Jake Paul fight next?

Jake Paul Claims Tommy Fury Has Turned Down Two Fight Offers

According to the YouTube star-turned boxer Jake Paul, Tommy Fury has denied two “abundant offers” to fight. Jake Paul is turning up the heat and issuing a third and final offer to the 7-0 boxer. The two were linked to fighting each other after the blockbuster Aug. 29 Showtime event between Paul and former UFC […]

Continue Reading Jake Paul Claims Tommy Fury Has Turned Down Two Fight Offers at MMA News.

According to the YouTube star-turned boxer Jake Paul, Tommy Fury has denied two “abundant offers” to fight.

Jake Paul is turning up the heat and issuing a third and final offer to the 7-0 boxer. The two were linked to fighting each other after the blockbuster Aug. 29 Showtime event between Paul and former UFC champion Tyron Woodley featured Fury on the undercard.

On fight night, Paul was rocked in the fourth round against Woodley, but the “Problem Child” controlled the tempo for most of the fight and won by split decision victory. Overall, the Showtime boxing card was a success having tipped the scales with a promising estimate of 480,000-500,000 PPV buys. In the undercard, Tommy Fury outpointed the 7-5 MMA fighter Anthony Taylor to a unanimous decision victory.

The patience of Paul appears to be wearing thin as he insists that Fury take the fight. Paul has been criticized for not having faced “real” boxers and is looking to erase that sentiment by defeating Fury in his fifth boxing fight to date.

“Tommy ‘Fury’ has denied 2 abundant offers from my team. Timmy “Fury”…. this is your last offer… $1 million, 8 rounds. 4x more than you have ever made. Either step up and fight OR accept that you and your Dad don’t believe in you @tommytntfury.” Jake Paul posted.

A report we ran earlier this month indicated that Woodley and Jake Paul both walked away with a disclosed $2-million dollar payday. With Paul offering just half of that amount to Fury, it remains to be seen if the half-brother of the famous boxing heavyweight champion will be enticed by the offer.

Jake Paul followed up his final offer on Twitter by drawing attention to the fact that “real fighters” have been more difficult to negotiate with than MMA fighters. In addition to offering him his biggest payday ever, Paul continued to prod on social media as to why these “real fighters” have a chance to shut him up yet they refuse to respond to his negotiations.

Do you think Tommy Fury should accept Jake Paul’s $1 Million offer?

Continue Reading Jake Paul Claims Tommy Fury Has Turned Down Two Fight Offers at MMA News.

Paul & Woodley Fight Won’t Be Subject To Fight-Night Drug Test

Both Jake Paul and Tyron Woodley will not have to undergo fight-night drug tests when they clash tonight. The long-awaited showdown between YouTuber, Jake Paul, and MMA veteran, Tyron Woodley, takes place at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland,…

Both Jake Paul and Tyron Woodley will not have to undergo fight-night drug tests when they clash tonight. The long-awaited showdown between YouTuber, Jake Paul, and MMA veteran, Tyron Woodley, takes place at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio later today when fans will finally get the answers to all of their questions. With […]

Continue Reading Paul & Woodley Fight Won’t Be Subject To Fight-Night Drug Test at MMA News.

Jake Paul: Training With Mayweather Is A Disadvantage For Woodley

Jake Paul has shared his belief that Tyron Woodley being trained by Floyd Mayweather will serve as a huge disadvantage heading into their fight. After knocking out Ben Askren and extending his professional boxing record to 3-0, Jake Paul has been widel…

Jake Paul has shared his belief that Tyron Woodley being trained by Floyd Mayweather will serve as a huge disadvantage heading into their fight. After knocking out Ben Askren and extending his professional boxing record to 3-0, Jake Paul has been widely considered to be one of the most controversial and talked-about athletes in the […]

Continue Reading Jake Paul: Training With Mayweather Is A Disadvantage For Woodley at MMA News.

Dana White Goes Off On Showtime Sports In Unhinged Rant

In an otherwise down year for mixed martial arts, UFC president Dana White has gone on record saying that 2017 was the UFC’s “best year ever,” presumably based on the massive financial haul generated by last August’s Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor boxing match. The fight was buoyed by a circus-type buildup and gained 4.3 […]

The post Dana White Goes Off On Showtime Sports In Unhinged Rant appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

In an otherwise down year for mixed martial arts, UFC president Dana White has gone on record saying that 2017 was the UFC’s “best year ever,” presumably based on the massive financial haul generated by last August’s Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor boxing match.

The fight was buoyed by a circus-type buildup and gained 4.3 million pay-per-view buys in North America, numbers that have been largely verified and were reported by the UFC’s co-promoter, Showtime Sports, in a previous press release. The figures had the fight as the second-biggest draw in the history of North American PPV, with May 2015’s Mayweather vs. Pacquiao match outselling after gaining 4.6 million buys.

But apparently White is far from pleased with how the TV giant dealt with the numbers apparently, telling Yahoo’s Kevin Iole in a recent in-depth interview that no matter what Showtime releases, Mayweather vs. McGregor was the biggest fight ever:

“Think about this and I don’t give a shit about Showtime’s fucking full of shit press release they put out — it’s the biggest fight ever. Ever in combat sports history.”

He continued on to cite his own figures, insisting that Mayweather vs. McGregor did 6.7 million buys worldwide, and would have done up to 7 million if the streaming service had not crashed right before the fight started. With Showtime reporting lower numbers that only focused on North America, White was so mad he said he would never trust Showtime and vowed to never do business with them again:

“The thing did over 6.7 million buys and if the service didn’t drop, we would have gotten closer to 7 million,” White continued. “The way that they handled that press release and what they did — I didn’t trust them before and now I despise those fucking guys. The Showtime guys, I’ll never work with them again. Ever.”

White may have his numbers a bit mixed up, however, as he seems to be comparing the worldwide buys with Showtime’s North American figures and focusing on the discrepancy between the two numbers, which would obviously create a massive gap as one encompasses the whole world.

Showtime Sports executive Stephen Espinoza seemed to realize that, releasing a tweet earlier today clarifying that the company had released accurate North American figures that had been vetted by involved parties before being released:

When examined in that light, it seems like White was looking for some inflated numbers to tout publicly as UFC owners Endeavor look to pay back the loans outstanding on their July 2016 purchase of the MMA leader, which is currently floundering without any true stars outside of McGregor, whom they let compete in a boxing ring for his only fight of 2017.

Reports dictate Showtime is to be believed on the numbers, and White vowing to never do business with them again may seem like sour grapes from a man looking for overblown figures that just weren’t quite there.

And let’s be honest, if McGregor wanted to rematch Mayweather in boxing or ‘Money’ ever wanted to fight in the Octagon for some reason, White would probably find a reason to open talks back up with Showtime despite this perceived – and perhaps superficial – slight.

The post Dana White Goes Off On Showtime Sports In Unhinged Rant appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.