Showtime closes sports division, ends boxing on network

Follows HBO’s exit five years ago  With the decline of linear TV – and traditional Pay TV in general, it’s no surprise Paramount Global’s Showtime Sports division is shuttering its doors after 37 years in operation. The unit was mostly home to boxing events run by Premier Boxing Champions and Bellator MMA fighting plus sports documentaries, would close by the […]

The Media Notepad: Bears draw big ratings for SNF

Plus… HBO Boxing swan song a bust; Judge Joe Brown returns to TV The Monsters Of The Midway are back! Sunday Night Football scored a significant ratings victory with the matchup between two first-place teams: the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears. Being played at a frigid Soldier Field in Chicago, the Bears beat the Rams 15-6, thanks to the […]

HBO to end boxing telecasts after 45 years

Move marks latest shift for premium service (Editor’s Note: This post has been updated.) After a few years on the ropes, HBO’s boxing franchise is down for the count. HBO announced Thursday it was ending boxing telecasts on the network after 45 years, with the cancellations of World Championship Boxing, Boxing After Dark, and The Fight Game.  The move isn’t […]

ESPN fights its way back into the boxing business

More boxing on the way As the sports world Saturday was focusing on the Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor pay-per-view fight from Las Vegas, ESPN made some boxing news of its own over the weekend by announcing a new, multi-deal year to carry boxing matches from Top Rank, a promotion run by legend Bob Arum. Top Rank tested the waters recently with […]