Since boxing has returned from the sports hiatus, the sport’s linear television ratings have been in decline. Top Rank cards on ESPN have drawn just 332,000 viewers since June 9th (down -51% from the 680,000 viewers averaged between Aug.’19 and Apr.’20), while Premier Boxing Champions has seen -36% of its pre-COVID-19 Fox audience evaporate (down to 887,000 viewers since Aug. 8 from 1.39 million).
Click here to read the story from sportico.com.
Questions for Classroom Discussion
- What is a niche sport?
- In your opinion, is boxing a niche sport?
- Based on information from this story, describe what is happening to boxing viewership.
- Why do you think boxing’s audience is in decline while UFC continues to grow?
- According to information from this story, how has pay-per-view impacted the overall audience for the sport of boxing? How might a new approach to televising and streaming events help the popularity of the sport?