[kantowrestler]

 

[Trix]

Bellator on showtime is cool.

Why so little coverage on UFC being on ABC though?

No one would know ABC was broadcasting UFC events if ABC wasn't in the main event title.

 

[kantowrestler]

Yeah UFC on ABC promotion is similar to Bellator's DAZN promotion. On the other hand because of its' past, Bellator on Showtime is being hyped because of the past MMA has on the site. Honestly I was surprised that Bellator wasn't put on Showtime sooner.

 

[Trix]

I've had a negative opinion of showtime.

Ever since they cut Conor McGregor's microphone to stop him from trash talking Floyd.

 

[kantowrestler]

That's probably one of the mildest things I've ever heard media doing to censor someone. To me Showtime is just Showtime and I honestly thought they were overpriced for what they offered. However, even at the full price of $10 I'm fine with that because that's far less then a PPV from the UFC.

 

[Trix]

If bellator or any MMA promotion wanted to be progressive and next level.

They could pursue a broadcast deal with netflix or youtube.

AFAIK showtime is on a big decline. They have around 27 million subscribers while netflix has close to 200 million.

Signing with showtime could open the door to bellator hosting more future PPV events. That's the upside of the deal.

Could they achieve the same thing, while reaching far more viewers on netflix though.

...

Showtime has hosted boxing events for a long long time. Have they done much to promote boxing? Maybe not considering boxing is a dying sport. I don't see much to get excited about with bellator signing a deal with one of the brand names responsible for running boxing into the ground. Its good if bellator can host more PPV events. Fighters will get paid. But I don't know if showtime is the best team to ally with, if your goal is to build your brand.

Showtime -> dying broadcast service
Boxing -> dying sport

Scott Coker: "Everything is dying here. Probably from poor or incompetent management. This looks like a great place to grow our brand."

Showtime execs cutting Conor's mic, seeming to not know enough about the fight business to know he's hyping up the fight with every word. Seemed to confirm to me everything I said above.

 

[kantowrestler]

Netflix doesn't do live sports and never has, I don't think they've done a single live event for anything, even comedy or drama. As for Showtime being a dying brand, I didn't make the decision to move them to Showtime from CBS Sports or Paramount Network. CBS/Viacom executives were the ones that made the decision to move them.

 

[Trix]

Netflix is experimenting with live content in france. They could expand into live sports someday.

Doesn't it seem like netflix is doing new and innovative things.

While showtime hosted boxing events for 50 years and never did anything with it. They've never done anything to promote the sport or athletes in it.

I'm half joking about half of the things I say about Scott Coker/bellator.

Isn't showtime dead weight as far as being a business partner though. Bellator/Scott Coker will have to carry them every step of the way.

 

[kantowrestler]

Well in many ways Scott Coker is just along for the ride because he has corporate overlords who he has to deal with and may not be making the best business decisions. Does Bellator on Showtime make business sense, probably not in the modern era. But this is what we're being dealt with so it is what it is.

 

[Trix]

Jake Paul vs Ben Askren has to be the most anticipated and exciting thing in boxing. That anyone's seen in years.

Imagine how badly showtime boxing has to drop the ball for that to happen.

 

[kantowrestler]

Yeah and it's ironic how it was done through an indie promotion.