The new PBC deal with Showtime Boxing could potentially be a huge deal for boxing going forward. As well as the Premiere Boxing Championship brand itself.
The 3-year deal has promised a “significant expansion of live boxing programming.” As Showtime has ruled 2018 with an iron fist with its boxing coverage, with only more to come, this also leads to some important conversations that need to be held in regards to the PBC stable.
.@shosports announces its entered into new three-year agreement with @premierboxing. Deal calls for monthly boxing; sounds like there will be more minor shows featuring Al Haymon’s vast stable. Will chat with @StephenEspinoza later #Boxing
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) August 30, 2018
The Welterweight division is boxing’s glamour division currently and there is a hell of a logjam in it. Once Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia have completed their title fight, we need to know what is to become of Keith Thurman. With the abundance of boxing talent in the stable, Haymon’s expansion for 2019 must create the best fights for fans.
🇺🇸📺 Showtime have signed a new three-year extension to their US boxing broadcast deal with Al Haymon's PBC. They promise "a significant expansion of live boxing in 2019" and are already planning next year's early schedule, which will be revealed in January.
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) August 30, 2018
Errol Spence, Jr. and Yordenis Ugas are also top-tier talent that will need to have a dance partner among the elite in the PBC. If Al Haymon and Stephen Espinoza truly plan to shower fans with consistent boxing, the question now is if it will be quality boxing?
One of the great criticisms of PBC has been lackluster cards. Lackluster cards at weird times on weirder networks. That being said, fans will not approve of more random, journeyman, main events that include a Devon Alexander or Victor Ortiz to be considered as “significantly expanding.”
Although it’s great that the length of the deal should prove to keep fighters active, from an entertainment perspective for the fan, the RIGHT fights and fighters need to sustain activity. Another obstacle certainly includes network politics of boxing and how this new deal will affect said politics going forward.
Does the new PBC deal mean less of a chance that fans will get Wilder-Joshua in 2019? What will this mean for an anticipated super fight for Errol Spence, Jr. and Bud Crawford? How will the up and coming Middleweight division be effected with titles and prize fighters spread out between Golden Boy, Top Rank, AND PBC?
Al Haymon has a LOT of work ahead of him along with Showtime. Boxing fans are definitely hoping that one of the first orders of business is for the PBC to separate the contenders from the pretenders in the glamor divisions of boxing.