Showtime Sports to shut down at the end of 2023
In a bit of news that is sure to make UFC CEO Dana White happy, Showtime Sports will officially shut down after nearly 40 years of delivering world-class boxing and MMA.
The news comes weeks removed from an initial report claiming that Showtime Sports would end its run in 2024. That no longer appears to be the case with Paramount President and CEO Chris McCarthy sending an email to employees confirming that they would no longer produce sports at the end of 2023, bringing an end to world-class boxing and Bellator MMA on the platform.
“As we continue to dedicate a larger percentage of our resources toward premium scripted series that drive subscribers for us in both Pay TV and SVOD, SHOWTIME will not be moving forward with boxing or other content produced by the SHOWTIME Sports and Event Program Team,” McCarthy wrote to employees via email. “The company’s decision isn’t a reflection of the work the team and our partners have done, rather a reality of the world evolving and our shifting content priorities.”
After Producing 750 Live Events, It’s the End of an era for showtime sports
Paramount, the parent company of Showtime, also released a statement, confirming the end of an era that produced 750 live events and 2,000 bouts.
“As we evolve our strategy to more efficiently allocate resources and align our content offering across the business, we’ve made the difficult decision not to move forward with boxing and other content produced by the Showtime sports team. Showtime will continue to air and support the remaining 2023 boxing slate and honor obligations through the end of the year,” Paramount said in a statement.
The first-ever Showtime boxing card aired on March 10, 1986, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and featured a middleweight title bout between ‘Marvelous’ Marvin Hagler and John ‘The Beast’ Mugabi. During its run, Showtime produced the two biggest pay-per-views in combat sports history. Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao brought in 4.6 million in sales in 2015, while Mayweather’s matchup with UFC star Conor McGregor did 4.4 million in sales two years later.
After hearing of the initial rumors that Showtime Sports could be shutting down, Dana White shared his honest opinion of the product’s production values. White also saw it as an opportunity to take a shot at Showtime Sports President Stephen Espinoza whom he worked with while co-promoting McGregor’s fight with Mayweather.
“That’s incredibly unfortunate,” White sarcastically told reporters at a press event in September. “Production of that show was fantastic. The guy who runs Showtime Boxing is a great human being. It’s unfortunate to hear this. F*ck Espinoza, and it’s about time that sh*tty product is off the air.”
