Boxer Anthony Joshua on April 29 will defend his world title against Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium in one the "biggest heavyweight fights in years," and for the past few months, Showtime and HBO have been "trying to work out a deal they can both live with that will assure U.S. television coverage," according to Dan Rafael of ESPN.com. There is $3M plus "on the table" from both HBO and Showtime to gain rights to televise the bout. Sources said that the two nets have already "made deals with Joshua promoter Matchroom Boxing and Klitschko promoter K2 Promotions." However, it has been a "difficult process because Showtime has a contract with Joshua and HBO has one with Klitschko and neither is willing, understandably, to give up its rights." This is "not a pay-per-view fight" in the U.S. like Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao or Lennox Lewis-Mike Tyson, massive events that "forced the networks to come together and meld their broadcast and production teams as well as their public relations efforts for the event." Sources said that the nets have "agreed to the most significant basic deal point, that Showtime will air the fight live in the late afternoon/early evening and HBO will present a tape-delay of the fight a few hours later in prime time." Also agreed to is that both networks will "send their personnel to the stadium to put on their telecast rather than remain in the U.S. and call the fight from a studio." Sources said that one small but important detail to HBO is "what will take place during the roughly four-hour window between the end of Showtime’s live broadcast and HBO’s tape delay." HBO wants "assurances that Showtime will not release footage of the fight" (ESPN.com, 4/11).
