Showtime Event Television's (SET) annual pay-per-view
industry overview showed that PPV boxing lost "about" $250M
in potential revenue due to Mike Tyson's suspension,
according to Scott Hettrick of the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. In a
"repeat of the years when Tyson was in jail," PPV event
revenue "plummeted" 40% in '98 to $241M from $400M in '97,
with boxing revenue accounting for only $40M, compared with
$232M last year -- a drop of 83%. Noting the
"overdependence on boxing and ring sports for PPV events,"
Showtime Exec VP/Sports & Programming Mark Greenberg "called
for the creation of an industrywide research and development
committee to find alternative PPV events to bolster the
overall industry." SET "is counting on at least two or
three Tyson fights" in '99, while TVKO, HBO's PPV division,
is finalizing plans for the March 13 Lennox Lewis-Evander
Holyfield fight (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 11/19). SET's
Greenberg, on the potential for three Tyson fights, two
Holyfield fights and "at least one" Oscar De La Hoya bout:
"The industry could gross $250 million on these six events
alone." Greenberg said that wrestling "chalked up a stellar
year," as PPV events brought in "an estimated" $178M, up 27%
from $140M last year (DAILY VARIETY, 11/19).
