Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano drew in 1.5 million viewers

MUCH is commonly made from the fluctuating recognition of boxing. Some nonetheless evaluate this contemporary period with the Sixties and 70s, when the game was one of many most-watched and most talked about on this planet. Others level to the attention watering sums of cash present boxers command as proof of boxing’s prevailing relevance. Whereas it will be silly to assume boxing is anyplace close to the cultural standing it as soon as held, there are undoubtedly optimistic indicators rising virtually on a weekly foundation now. Streaming service DAZN – which has not had the best of rides since bursting onto the scene a couple of years in the past with a frightening struggle chest – this previous week launched viewing figures for the latest Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano superfight.

The 2 girls apparently drew in 1.5 million viewers, a brand new document for a feminine boxing match. These viewers got here from over 170 totally different territories the world over and the DAZN app was the very best grossing sports activities app globally on Apple and Google over that weekend.

DAZN, like most streaming companies, hardly ever releases viewing figures and when it does so it’s just for occasions which were an simple success, akin to this one. So it’s arduous to correctly contextualise these figures.

That being mentioned, it is a particular win for boxing. DAZN remains to be establishing itself as a significant participant within the sports activities broadcasting panorama. Girls’s boxing can be nonetheless very a lot in its progress section.

So for an rising department of the game to carry out so nicely on a comparatively new platform speaks volumes. The likes of Taylor and Serrano, and certainly all these concerned in staging the occasion, have made an influence on the game that can be felt for years to return.

ESPN additionally pulled some encouraging viewing figures over that very same weekend. Shakur Stevenson’s dominant win over Oscar Valdez had a mean viewers of 1,353,000, in line with Nielsen Media Analysis. That determine doesn’t embrace those that watched the combat on ESPN+, as ESPN doesn’t launch viewing figures from its streaming platform to Nielsen.

The published peaked at 1,440,000. In fact ESPN is the biggest sports activities broadcaster within the US, which matches some approach to explaining these numbers, and likewise means that the combat may have attracted an excellent bigger viewers.

Neither Stevenson nor Valdez are established stars but, although. That’s now more likely to change for the previous given how good he seemed and the way shiny his future appears. So to drag in an viewers of this dimension is undoubtedly a step in the appropriate path for the younger expertise.

This previous weekend DAZN aired Dmitry Bivol’s upset win over Canelo Alvarez, the game’s largest star. On condition that, even on paper, this was certainly one of Canelo’s hardest assessments there was a comparatively small quantity of promotion earlier than the combat.

We might by no means know if that had an influence on what number of tuned in. It’s additionally value noting that this was Canelo combating on Cinco de Mayo weekend; an prevalence that doesn’t want a lot hype. It would all the time draw big crowds.

The commentary was additionally irritating, which is turning into a regarding development on DAZN’s US broadcasts. Todd Grisham led the commentary crew however offered little perception into the combat. Mike Costello, who heads up DAZN’s main UK broadcasts, all the time does a wonderful job of calling the motion intimately and leaving room for his colleagues so as to add knowledgeable perception.

For Canelo-Bivol, DAZN had Sergio Mora and Daniel Jacobs readily available as color commentators whereas Chris Mannix would chime in between rounds. Regardless of being the one man to have really fought Canelo out of this crew, Jacobs was referred to as upon disappointingly little.

The crew have been fairly honest within the evaluation of the combat although. They praised Bivol’s work and famous how pissed off Canelo appeared at instances. Mannix’s scorecard was additionally aligned with how the combat really performed out, one thing that may’t all the time be mentioned.

What was attention-grabbing was how Canelo spoke about his quick future through the post-fight press convention. He remained comparatively stylish in defeat, providing no excuses although claiming that he felt he deserved the choice.

He additionally insisted he’ll invoke his rematch clause with Bivol, nonetheless wouldn’t verify that he’ll pursue that combat as his subsequent one. The plan, have been he to have crushed Bivol, was for Canelo to then have a 3rd combat with Gennadiy Golovkin in September.

So he may nonetheless transfer right into a trilogy bout with “GGG” subsequent, which comes with potential dangers and advantages. There may be, after all, the substantial monetary rewards that might include a Golovkin combat and a win would additionally set Canelo again on the appropriate course. Nonetheless he would even be coming again down in weight from 175lbs.

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Returning to the subject of Taylor-Serrano, promoter Eddie Hearn spoke to numerous reporters through the week about the potential of a rematch. There have been very actual discussions about staging a second bout between the 2 at Croke Park, the enduring stadium in Dublin.

That is but additional proof of the big influence Taylor is having on the game of boxing. Bringing a giant combat evening to Croke Park is one thing not even Conor McGregor has been in a position to do.

Nonetheless, Hearn did additionally point out the potential of Taylor collaborating in crossover boxing fights with distinguished MMA fighters like Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino and Holly Holm. The Serrano rematch would certainly generate extra curiosity and, subsequently, cash. Let’s hope so, anyway.

The BBC usually comes beneath fireplace for not offering boxing with the protection it maybe deserves, although this previous week there was an attention-grabbing function on their web site which went behind the scenes of Tommy Frank’s latest British title defence in opposition to Craig Derbyshire.

It’s a comparatively brief piece however it’s good to see extra in-depth protection of a lot smaller exhibits on a significant platform like BBC Sport.

Boxing on the field

Could 13

Angel Acosta-Janiel Rivera
DAZN
Protection begins at 2am

Linus Udofia-Denzel Bentley
Channel 5
Protection begins at 10pm

Daniele Scardina-Giovanni De Carolis
DAZN
Protection begins at 7pm

Hannah Rankin-Alejandra Alaya
Fightzone
Protection begins TBA

Could 15

Gilberto Ramirez-Dominic Boesel
DAZN
Protection begins at 1am

Sergey Kovalev-Tervel Pulev
FITE TV
Protection begins at 2am