HBO’s Taffet Talks Big Boxing PPVs on Bloomberg
Mark Taffet of HBO sits down with Bloomberg TV to discuss the latest in boxing business. Taffet shares what his predictions are for the Mayweather-Mosley fight, in addition to some other interesting tidbits about competition between boxing and MMA.
Payout Perspective:
The most interesting comment that Taffet made came towards the end of the interview when he claimed that there was very little over-lap between the fan bases of boxing and MMA – only 3-5%. He further suggested that the demographics are completely different.
I have two thoughts regarding this:
1.) Boxing and MMA are competing for more than just 3-5% of the same customers when it comes to the blockbuster fights. Any time you step into that million buy territory, you’re hoping to attract the casual sports fan and that’s when the target demographics blend and we do see some crossover.
Generally, however, he’d be correct in saying that the demographics of the base lines are more or less completely different.
2.) The demographics have begun, and will continue, to merge as we move into the future. MMA is growing rather quickly and has managed to captivate a young audience that’s likely to grow with the sport. Moreover, as organizations like the UFC continue to expand, the sport will gain further popularity in some of the traditionally stronger boxing demos – Latinos for example.
Be sure to watch the video; it’s only 3 minutes.