news recently broke out that Paramount plans to discontinue the second-longest boxing channel Showtime Sports at the end of 2023.
For the past 37 years, Showtime has been synonymous with boxing, creating a stable platform to nurture the sport.
With HBO stepping away from broadcasting boxing five years prior, these are indeed momentous times in the history of this sport.
A major player in the game expected to replace Showtime is Amazon Prime. Reports suggest that Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) is on the brink of signing a broadcast deal with Amazon.
PBC, Amazon Prime reportedly close to broadcast deal https://t.co/1WccF9WPsW pic.twitter.com/ZvfDtouLDc
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 28, 2023
The shift away from traditional cable to digital streaming services is an earth-shaking trend that’s been gaining steam, with boxing not being immune to this revolution.
A sport that largely thrives on a consistent and dedicated, audience base, boxing’s diversification into digital streaming platforms represents the future of its viewership.
With an existing footprint through broadcasting Thursday Night Football every week, Amazon is now willing to venture into additional live sports streaming, particularly boxing.
Amazon Prime’s subscriber base surpasses the 200 million mark, which could result in boxing gaining more attention than ever before.
It remains uncertain how many subscribers actively use Prime Video, but even a fraction of this user base tuning into the boxing streams could elevate the sport to unprecedented heights.
