Sources have confirmed that Showtime Championship Boxing will exit boxing programming at the end of 2023, after 37 years of televising some of the biggest fights in the sport.
Paramount is shutting down Showtime Sports.
With that, Showtime is DONE with both boxing & MMA at the end of 2023 per Paramount CEO.
Showtime had both PBC boxing & Bellator MMA.
per @KevinI pic.twitter.com/JCg4MGid9l
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) October 17, 2023
This news comes as a surprise to many boxing fans, as Showtime Sports has been a major player in the sport for decades. The network’s flagship boxing program, Showtime Championship Boxing, took place in July when Frank Martin defeated Artem Harutyunyan, and the only event on the Showtime Boxing calendar right now is a Nov. 25 fight in Las Vegas between David Benavidez and Demetrius Andrade.
Showtime’s exit from boxing programming will leave a significant void in the sport, as the network has been a major player in the sport for decades. Showtime landed Floyd Mayweather in 2013, which was a major coup for the network. Mayweather went on to fight seven times on Showtime PPV, including the 2015 bout with Manny Pacquiao.
The face of boxing is now Canelo Alvarez, who signed a three-fight deal with PBC this summer. He retained his undisputed super middleweight championship last month with a victory over Jermell Charlo on Showtime PPV. PBC is exploring broadcast deals with Amazon Prime Video and DAZN, which has a partnership with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, sources said.
Boxing fans and analysts will be watching closely to see how the sport evolves in the wake of Showtime’s exit from boxing programming. With Canelo Alvarez now the face of boxing, and PBC exploring broadcast deals with Amazon Prime Video and DAZN, it is clear that the sport is in a period of transition. Only time will tell what the future holds for boxing, but one thing is certain: the sport will continue to captivate fans around the world for years to come.
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