1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 1: This is the business of sports. Should Major League Baseball 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:06,840 Speaker 1: shorten up the season? How do we present football to 3 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:08,920 Speaker 1: the audience of the future. I don't think that most 4 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:12,160 Speaker 1: players understand the power that they have. The future of 5 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:16,439 Speaker 1: IndyCar racing is looking bright. Scott Sashnik. Very basic math here, 6 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:19,319 Speaker 1: more bidders means more money, Evan Nobody Williams. The team 7 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:23,080 Speaker 1: value has essentially quadruples. And the leaders in the sports industry. 8 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:25,840 Speaker 1: Time to bring in our guest hal stand Runner, National 9 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:29,320 Speaker 1: Hockey League Commissioner Gary Betman, Atlanta Braves president Derek Schiller, 10 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 1: Patriots President Jonathan Kraft. Bloomberg Business of Sports from Bloomberg Radio. Hello, 11 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:39,360 Speaker 1: I'm Michael barn I'm Evan Nobi Williams, ab Scottshnik. Every 12 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:42,400 Speaker 1: week at this time, plus Mondays and Wednesdays, we explore 13 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:44,680 Speaker 1: the big money issues in the world of sports. Today 14 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:48,239 Speaker 1: we sit down with boxing promoter Great Bob Aaron. But 15 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 1: first let's look at the top stories of the week, 16 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:55,480 Speaker 1: and let's begin with the NFL labor talks, and they're 17 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:58,800 Speaker 1: talking about everything. They're talking now, first of all about 18 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:04,720 Speaker 1: the seventeen game regular season, adding two teams to the playoffs. 19 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 1: On and on. We've known for a while the NFL 20 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:11,039 Speaker 1: wants additional games. And do you know why they want 21 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:14,800 Speaker 1: additional games. It's because the TV networks want additional games. 22 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:17,600 Speaker 1: More NFL means more money on evantas on that in 23 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 1: a second, if we had one, that would be it. Um. 24 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: Right now, it seems as if the players are inclined, 25 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:30,840 Speaker 1: seems as if to agree to the seventeen games. They were. 26 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:33,120 Speaker 1: There were some concerns about health and safety about playing 27 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:37,200 Speaker 1: more football, but it was their biggest negotiating chip, that 28 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 1: was the leverage they had. They knew the owners wanted 29 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 1: this because it means a lot more money from the 30 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 1: TV networks. In exchange, of course, the players themselves will 31 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:48,360 Speaker 1: get more money. So no deal yet, No deal yet, 32 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:53,560 Speaker 1: But it seems as if the sides are marching toward 33 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 1: each other instead of away from each other like the 34 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 1: last time. Yeah, I think it's it's fair to say, 35 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 1: and we've seen this in other sports as well, that 36 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:05,000 Speaker 1: when the media money is flush, and that is the motivator, Uh, 37 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 1: it's easier to get deals done, you know, And that 38 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 1: happened with the NBA a number of years ago. Um, 39 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 1: And it certainly seems this way with the NFL. You know, 40 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:15,280 Speaker 1: they they're renegotiating right now, starting renegotiations on you know, 41 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:18,000 Speaker 1: over six and a half billion dollars and TV deals, 42 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 1: right that's the ESPN deal, that's the three major broadcast CBS, Fox, 43 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 1: UH and NBC, and that's also Direct TV, the Sunday 44 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:28,360 Speaker 1: ticket deal, you know, and these major changes, adding a 45 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:32,040 Speaker 1: regular season game, adding two playoff games, two more playoff teams, 46 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 1: will give the NFL more freedom if they want to 47 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 1: slice and dice things up, give up, give just the 48 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:41,760 Speaker 1: added game as an international package of playoff games to 49 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 1: Apple if they want. What did friend of the program 50 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: Mark Gaddis called the NFL is like Game of Thrones 51 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 1: and something on billions on steroids every week. It's guaranteed 52 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: you're gonna get the eyeballs. It actually was up this 53 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 1: past season after a couple of years down. But NFL 54 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:01,040 Speaker 1: programming is actually up this year on all of their networks, 55 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:04,079 Speaker 1: on all their partners. So that obviously bodes well going 56 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:06,160 Speaker 1: into the new talk. And we spoke with meteaor rights 57 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:08,959 Speaker 1: wizard Lee Burke earlier this week, and one one of 58 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:10,720 Speaker 1: the things he said, just to put it in context, 59 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: NFL rights were always going to go up. Right, if 60 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:16,119 Speaker 1: they didn't make these changes. We're looking at fifty rights 61 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:20,400 Speaker 1: increase with these changes. Uh, maybe even doubling the rights. Right, 62 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:23,080 Speaker 1: So that's a two billion dollar swing just for adding 63 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:26,639 Speaker 1: that extra regular season game and adding some playoff games. 64 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:29,320 Speaker 1: So you can certainly understand why the two sides faced 65 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 1: with the reality there might be a little more hasty 66 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:34,639 Speaker 1: to get a deal done. And the plan if they 67 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 1: want to add two teams so the playoffs include that 68 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 1: only the top seeds will get the buy. It will 69 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:44,960 Speaker 1: be seven teams for each conference, but only the top 70 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:47,440 Speaker 1: team would get the buy, as opposed to what's happened, 71 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:50,880 Speaker 1: more games at the most valuable time of the year, 72 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:54,560 Speaker 1: the postseason, when people are more inclined to tune it. 73 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 1: No reason to think at this point that anybody's gonna 74 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:00,600 Speaker 1: walk away from the table because these talks seppen going 75 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 1: on for a while. There were there were no surprises 76 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 1: in any of these things. Let's talk since we're talking 77 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:09,240 Speaker 1: about the NFL, let's talk about two Patriots safeties. And 78 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:12,800 Speaker 1: thank you to Owen Scannell because he's a friend of 79 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:17,080 Speaker 1: the show and he tweeted this to us. Uh, he 80 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 1: would love to hear about the two Patriots buying Major 81 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 1: League rugby. They're talking about getting their coins together and 82 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 1: doing this. I think one is Patrick Chunk, Patrick Chung 83 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:31,480 Speaker 1: and the other Nate Ebner, who, if you remember, took 84 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:33,280 Speaker 1: a break from the Patriots back in two thousand and 85 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:35,880 Speaker 1: sixteen to play in the Olympics, the first time that 86 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:39,039 Speaker 1: rugby rugby sevens was in the games. Uh. They're both 87 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 1: invested in the Boston Free Jacks of the New England 88 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 1: New England Free Jack. Don't live yourself, start a city 89 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:49,159 Speaker 1: when you're gonna have a whole regi. Um. But yeah, 90 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 1: I imagine that they're not. They don't have huge steaks, 91 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:54,400 Speaker 1: although the team valuation is probably not particularly high. But 92 00:04:56,839 --> 00:04:58,839 Speaker 1: but you know Major leagu rugby, which launched a couple 93 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:01,400 Speaker 1: of years ago. Um. Fair, but Nobians, you want to 94 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 1: talk about this. This is some of those active folks, 95 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 1: I mean, the rugby folks have been coming. It as 96 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:07,719 Speaker 1: hard to discuss rugby and to have some of the 97 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:10,240 Speaker 1: folks on and absolutely, yeah, I know some folks who 98 00:05:10,279 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 1: have gone to to some of the games. Uh for 99 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 1: the New York team, you know, which which had a 100 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 1: great opening season. Um and yeah, you know, there have 101 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:20,000 Speaker 1: been attempts at at professional rugby in the US before 102 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 1: this one seems to be you know, this is the 103 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:24,880 Speaker 1: latest obviously, and and you know, good luck to them. 104 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:30,760 Speaker 1: One thing that that would concern me a little there 105 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:32,680 Speaker 1: there was a time a couple of years ago where 106 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:35,839 Speaker 1: rugby was one of the fastest growing sports participation wise 107 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 1: in the US UM and recent numbers show a little 108 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:41,840 Speaker 1: bit of a dip. Just looking at what the s 109 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 1: f i A, the Sports Fitness and Industry Association, put 110 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:46,960 Speaker 1: out a couple of days ago. UM, in the past 111 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 1: two years, rugby participation is down. UM there's about one 112 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:54,360 Speaker 1: point four million rugby players in the US right now, 113 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:57,080 Speaker 1: which is lower than or smaller number than than roller 114 00:05:57,120 --> 00:05:58,880 Speaker 1: hockey just because it was in the RS and that's 115 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:01,839 Speaker 1: the sport above it. But that would concern me a 116 00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 1: little bit. But right now, as we talk about all 117 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 1: the time, media is driving things. Sports media is driving things. Uh, 118 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 1: and I direct to can you make can you make 119 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 1: a living if just on a rugby channel? Content of 120 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:15,000 Speaker 1: all sorts? And as you said, Scott, you know this 121 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:16,800 Speaker 1: is an avid group of people and you know they 122 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:18,840 Speaker 1: support the sport a lot, So good luck to them. 123 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:21,799 Speaker 1: I could see that though, and Rugby bless their hearts 124 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 1: because you talk about some rugged dudes playing this game. 125 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:28,920 Speaker 1: You you thought that at you know that we were, 126 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:31,520 Speaker 1: you know, just I don't want to see I see 127 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:34,120 Speaker 1: those guys. I don't want to play rugby against them. 128 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:38,320 Speaker 1: I would like to celebrate after the game with That's 129 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:41,560 Speaker 1: what that's the content. That's the content. What else we got. 130 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:45,359 Speaker 1: Let's talk about Rory McElroy and his talk to the 131 00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:49,000 Speaker 1: hand moment. He is not having any of it. Tell 132 00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:51,120 Speaker 1: us what we're talking about. Yeah, So you know, we 133 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:53,800 Speaker 1: talked a few weeks ago about the the Premier Golf 134 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:57,719 Speaker 1: League UM and a big bid that they're making essentially 135 00:06:57,720 --> 00:06:59,680 Speaker 1: to try to up end professional golf as we know it, 136 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:04,440 Speaker 1: and that is creating a smaller, fewer players and fewer events, 137 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:09,520 Speaker 1: league guaranteed money, guaranteed money, much bigger purses. UM that 138 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:11,720 Speaker 1: is trying to essentially rival the European Tour and the 139 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:14,640 Speaker 1: PGA Tour. As we said, the only way this works 140 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:17,480 Speaker 1: is if you get the biggest names in Gulf to 141 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:20,360 Speaker 1: sign on. And they are having those conversations right now 142 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 1: with a number of said there's somewhat split, so it's 143 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:25,280 Speaker 1: not like Tiger Woods has said, you know, he's listening 144 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:27,960 Speaker 1: and and and it's considering all options. I believe Rory 145 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:30,600 Speaker 1: is the first, at least the big A list name 146 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 1: who has come out and said I am not I thought, 147 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:35,560 Speaker 1: by the way, it was a little over dramatically. I 148 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 1: want to be on the right side of history. Over dramatically. 149 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:45,680 Speaker 1: It's okay. History is not going to look unkindly upon you. 150 00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 1: That sound you hear is the champagne popping in the 151 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 1: PGA Tour office right now. This is I would say, 152 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:52,800 Speaker 1: this is a pretty big deal. I mean not to 153 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:55,160 Speaker 1: say that this you know, can't move on without Rory, 154 00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:57,440 Speaker 1: but when you have big names like him being the 155 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:00,280 Speaker 1: first to get out there and say listen, I'm I'm 156 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:02,240 Speaker 1: not gonna do this this, this maybe sets the tone 157 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 1: a little bit um, But yeah, They're big challenge is 158 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:08,120 Speaker 1: going to be getting big names to to to migrate 159 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:10,520 Speaker 1: over because I believe the PGA Tour, you know, it's 160 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 1: been a you know, not gonna be particularly well. It 161 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:15,840 Speaker 1: can't be. Remember, it's not gonna be welcoming to doing both. 162 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:19,240 Speaker 1: But the way it's funny now, when you're a big 163 00:08:19,280 --> 00:08:20,840 Speaker 1: time golfer and you make a lot of money. You 164 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 1: can make a statement like this, Michael Roy says, money 165 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 1: is cheap. Money is the easy part. It shouldn't be 166 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 1: the driving factor. Well, I'll tell you. You put up 167 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:33,080 Speaker 1: a bunch of money for me. I'll follow you fart 168 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:36,079 Speaker 1: joining the Premier. Yeah, I'm all yeah, sandwich for you. 169 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:40,760 Speaker 1: Up next on the show, Scott and Evan will speak 170 00:08:40,800 --> 00:08:44,280 Speaker 1: with boxing promoter Great Bob Aaron. Bob Aaron has been 171 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:46,880 Speaker 1: in the boxing business for decades and decades. He's worked 172 00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:50,120 Speaker 1: with big names like Muhammad Ali, Marvin Hagler, George Foreman, 173 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:53,760 Speaker 1: Manny Pacio. He promoted the rematch between Tyson Fury and 174 00:08:53,800 --> 00:08:56,640 Speaker 1: Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas. Bob, thanks for joining us. 175 00:08:57,240 --> 00:08:59,640 Speaker 1: It's my pleasure, really is. So you're joining us on 176 00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:02,160 Speaker 1: the eve of a pretty big heavyweight fight right now, 177 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:05,400 Speaker 1: Deante Wilder and Tyson Fury, their rematch set to take 178 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:08,880 Speaker 1: place Saturday night in Las Vegas. I'm curious it felt 179 00:09:08,880 --> 00:09:11,240 Speaker 1: like in the nineties was the heyday of heavyweight boxing. 180 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:13,640 Speaker 1: Are you getting kind of, you know, flashbacks to that 181 00:09:13,679 --> 00:09:15,920 Speaker 1: era now now that we're sitting here in two thousand 182 00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:18,160 Speaker 1: twenty and a heavyweight boxing fight is again one of 183 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:20,400 Speaker 1: one of the biggest stories in the sport. But you've 184 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:23,680 Speaker 1: asked me a question that makes me realize my age 185 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:28,000 Speaker 1: because I'm looking back to nineteen seventy one when you 186 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:35,040 Speaker 1: guys probably weren't born. Uh, when Muhammad Ali Uh, undefeated 187 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:40,679 Speaker 1: who had been prevented from fighting because of the draft situation, 188 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:45,720 Speaker 1: UH fought another undefeated guy who had taken his title 189 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:50,160 Speaker 1: because Ali had been stripped of his title, Joe Fraser, 190 00:09:50,679 --> 00:09:54,360 Speaker 1: and that fight took place and watch of nineteen seventy 191 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:58,640 Speaker 1: one Madison Square. God, that was there is the fight 192 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:02,400 Speaker 1: that is comparable to the fight that we're going to 193 00:10:02,520 --> 00:10:08,040 Speaker 1: see on Saturday. We have Tyson Fury who won the championship, 194 00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:12,440 Speaker 1: was taken away because he was inactive. Uh, but he's 195 00:10:12,520 --> 00:10:17,840 Speaker 1: undefeated in the in his prime, and he's fighting Deante Wilder, 196 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:26,280 Speaker 1: undefeated virtually all knockouts of his opponents, is the WBC champion, 197 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:30,200 Speaker 1: and they're both in their prime and they're facing off 198 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:36,440 Speaker 1: on Saturday, and UH, it's really a throwback to Ali 199 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:42,360 Speaker 1: phrase because Uh, they do have a blemish on the record, 200 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:45,280 Speaker 1: each of them, and that's a draw, but the draw 201 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:49,000 Speaker 1: was against each other, So that's that's pretty good. So 202 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 1: let me ask you that that fight, the fight when 203 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:53,839 Speaker 1: they fought a little over a year ago, when they drew, 204 00:10:54,679 --> 00:10:58,840 Speaker 1: the moment that came out draw, were you thinking immediately rematch, 205 00:10:59,160 --> 00:11:01,200 Speaker 1: that this is going to be an even bigger fight 206 00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:04,320 Speaker 1: the second time? Because of how dramatic that fight was. 207 00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:07,000 Speaker 1: Tyson Fury got knocked down in the twelfth round, stood 208 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:08,839 Speaker 1: back up, managed to fight his way to a draw. 209 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:11,800 Speaker 1: Were you thinking, immediately, man, the rematch is gonna be 210 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:15,720 Speaker 1: is going to be a monster monster ticket? Absolutely, particularly 211 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:21,880 Speaker 1: as it developed that UH Wild is promoted. PBC had 212 00:11:21,880 --> 00:11:29,520 Speaker 1: aligned itself with Fox, and uh we were aligned with ESPN, 213 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:35,040 Speaker 1: and when both of these networks decided that they would 214 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:39,720 Speaker 1: work together on the promotion of the fight, we knew 215 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:45,040 Speaker 1: we had the biggest UH boxing match in the years 216 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:50,880 Speaker 1: uh and certainly the biggest heavyweight championship match since the 217 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:54,240 Speaker 1: nineteen seventies. So let's talk about the money here. I mean, 218 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 1: you mentioned some of the media companies here, ESPN and Fox, 219 00:11:57,000 --> 00:11:59,440 Speaker 1: you know, both involved here. How much money is this 220 00:11:59,480 --> 00:12:02,960 Speaker 1: fight do you think projected to put together a total 221 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:08,479 Speaker 1: you know, Gate, Media, etcetera. Well, we we UH are 222 00:12:08,559 --> 00:12:13,520 Speaker 1: pricing the pay per view in the United States at 223 00:12:13,679 --> 00:12:20,240 Speaker 1: eighty dollars, and we're looking confidently on hitting two million 224 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:24,440 Speaker 1: pay per views, which would be a hundred sixty million dollars. 225 00:12:24,520 --> 00:12:26,120 Speaker 1: I was getting scared for a second, Bob, but I 226 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:29,040 Speaker 1: was like, even I could do that math in my head. Yeah, exactly. 227 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:33,360 Speaker 1: And uh and of course the cable systems and these 228 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:39,080 Speaker 1: satellite providers, uh take off a percentage, but it's still 229 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:44,600 Speaker 1: would leave the promotion more than a hundred million from 230 00:12:44,600 --> 00:12:49,480 Speaker 1: that source. The gate is virtually sold out and it's 231 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:54,760 Speaker 1: going to come in something over sixteen million dollars. Uh. 232 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:58,640 Speaker 1: The fight will be shown at four in the morning 233 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 1: on pay per view in the United Kingdom, and they 234 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:09,800 Speaker 1: are looking uh to do around a million homes in 235 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:14,640 Speaker 1: that time spot, which I mean they fanatic fans over 236 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:19,440 Speaker 1: in the UK, and that would mean another twenty million 237 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:23,360 Speaker 1: in the pot. And then their sponsorship and closed circuit 238 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:30,040 Speaker 1: and uh uh foreign sales and that we're confident will 239 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:35,440 Speaker 1: be over ten million dollars. So it's it's it's a huge, huge, 240 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:40,320 Speaker 1: huge pot of money. And is that low? What do 241 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:41,800 Speaker 1: you think you think I think it would be. I 242 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:45,120 Speaker 1: think that's right. I think it will will be a 243 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:49,040 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty million to be divided between the fighters 244 00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:52,920 Speaker 1: UH and the promoters who don't know. How does that 245 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:58,200 Speaker 1: get up? Yeah, our our deal with UH with with 246 00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:07,560 Speaker 1: UHBC UH ist we've the expenses, the common expenses come 247 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:11,600 Speaker 1: off the topic cause and then we divide fifty. They 248 00:14:11,720 --> 00:14:17,600 Speaker 1: then UH have an arrangement to compensate Wilder their fighter, 249 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:24,280 Speaker 1: which I'm not privy to. Our arrangement is essentially with 250 00:14:24,520 --> 00:14:29,360 Speaker 1: Tyson Fury a seventy thirty deal where he gets se 251 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:34,240 Speaker 1: we keep thirty, which is pretty damn good. So so 252 00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:37,480 Speaker 1: win or lose, Tyson sees the same check at the 253 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:40,120 Speaker 1: end of this thing. I am I interpreting that credit. 254 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:44,320 Speaker 1: That is absolutely correct. But there's a choice there. The 255 00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:49,640 Speaker 1: fighters have already agreed for a third fight, and the deal, 256 00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:54,840 Speaker 1: the contract says that the winner of this fight get 257 00:14:57,240 --> 00:15:02,840 Speaker 1: of the third fight and the lose against they're both 258 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:07,960 Speaker 1: locked in to that rematch, but the loser has the 259 00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:12,280 Speaker 1: right to pull the plug and walk away from the rematch. 260 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:15,480 Speaker 1: That's what the construct said. Interesting, and you mentioned, you 261 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:17,600 Speaker 1: know the folks that over in the UK that that 262 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:19,680 Speaker 1: are you know, very interested in this. There's another big 263 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:23,080 Speaker 1: heavyweight UK fighter, Anthony Joshua just rewin some belts a 264 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:26,160 Speaker 1: couple of months ago, does the does the rematches the 265 00:15:26,400 --> 00:15:28,880 Speaker 1: third fight of Wilder Fury? Does that happened before the 266 00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:30,960 Speaker 1: winner gets to fight Joshua? How does he kind of 267 00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:35,120 Speaker 1: mix in here? Because there's three really compelling heavyweight boxers 268 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:38,120 Speaker 1: right now. Well, you know, I'm not so sure about 269 00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:43,800 Speaker 1: Joshua being compelling because because fat Andy Ruiz knocked him out, 270 00:15:44,040 --> 00:15:50,240 Speaker 1: you know, and I can't couldn't imagine uh uh either 271 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:54,840 Speaker 1: Fury or while the being threatened by an Andy Ruise. 272 00:15:55,360 --> 00:15:58,120 Speaker 1: So I don't know how elite Joshua really is. But 273 00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:01,880 Speaker 1: he's a big name uh over in England. But he 274 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:07,920 Speaker 1: himself has a tough mandatory fight coming up against another 275 00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:15,040 Speaker 1: of my fighters, the Bulgarian UH champion Kubert Poulev, And 276 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:22,800 Speaker 1: if he uh takes his eyes off Poulev, uh Poolev 277 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:27,360 Speaker 1: is gonna knock him out quicker than Andy Ruiz knocked 278 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:31,440 Speaker 1: him out. Can you leverage one fighter versus the other day? 279 00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:35,440 Speaker 1: I work with both. So can you leverage one big name, 280 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:40,320 Speaker 1: one big fighter uh and get opportunities for others? Yeah? Absolutely, 281 00:16:40,840 --> 00:16:44,640 Speaker 1: that's what you do. I mean, that's what you know. Uh. 282 00:16:45,760 --> 00:16:50,600 Speaker 1: For example, if you have h a Marquis fighter, Like 283 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:57,520 Speaker 1: when we were promoting Manny Pacquiao and Oscardela Hoya. Uh, 284 00:16:58,040 --> 00:17:03,560 Speaker 1: we uh put them in very often with fighters that 285 00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:08,720 Speaker 1: we also promoted, uh, because it gave those fighters an 286 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:13,399 Speaker 1: opportunity maybe to win, but certainly to make a lot 287 00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:18,280 Speaker 1: of money. Bob, I'm not a huge boxing aficionado, but 288 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:20,600 Speaker 1: we mentioned some dates earlier in the show. I'm a 289 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:23,560 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy born guy, so I feel like I can 290 00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:26,399 Speaker 1: talk about Ali Frasier because at least I was born. 291 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:33,840 Speaker 1: But those are brand names that I think universally are recognized. 292 00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:38,760 Speaker 1: I'm not so sure about Fury Wilder. How do you 293 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:43,159 Speaker 1: create the sort of mega star that's sort of mythic 294 00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:46,320 Speaker 1: figure of an Ali Frasier. How can that be done 295 00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:51,000 Speaker 1: for the sport? Well, remember we in those back in 296 00:17:51,119 --> 00:17:55,680 Speaker 1: those days, we're asking the same questions. I mean, how 297 00:17:55,800 --> 00:18:02,640 Speaker 1: can you make Ali and Fraser as relevant as Joe 298 00:18:02,760 --> 00:18:06,879 Speaker 1: Lewis and Rocky Margiano. So it's you always have that 299 00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:13,359 Speaker 1: and we did it, and now reflecting back, those are huge, 300 00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:17,120 Speaker 1: huge iconic names. I think you'll see the same thing 301 00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:21,400 Speaker 1: with Wilder and Fury. While there is a very intelligent, 302 00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:27,560 Speaker 1: articulate young man with a tremendous punch and with the 303 00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:31,480 Speaker 1: publicity he's getting in this fight, Uh, he's going to 304 00:18:31,600 --> 00:18:35,480 Speaker 1: go on if he wins to even greater heights. The 305 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:40,399 Speaker 1: same thing for Tyson Fury, who's now being exposed to 306 00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:44,160 Speaker 1: the American public. We did two fights for him prior 307 00:18:44,320 --> 00:18:48,480 Speaker 1: to this fight in Las Vegas. He's a real character. 308 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:54,600 Speaker 1: He has a very interesting backstory and so uh people 309 00:18:55,080 --> 00:18:58,960 Speaker 1: now are familiar with Tyson Fury and he's becoming a 310 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:03,920 Speaker 1: household name. And look, with all the great publicity we 311 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:07,639 Speaker 1: did back then in the seventies, I have never seen 312 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:15,160 Speaker 1: anything like this with Fox and espn uh putting tremendous 313 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:20,840 Speaker 1: resources into the publicizing this fight. I mean, after all, 314 00:19:22,359 --> 00:19:25,000 Speaker 1: I mean, I've been around as long as there's been 315 00:19:25,040 --> 00:19:29,359 Speaker 1: a Super Bowl, and I've never seen on a Super 316 00:19:29,440 --> 00:19:35,760 Speaker 1: Bowl two thirty second commercials for a fight ever, not ever, 317 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:41,679 Speaker 1: And that's what Fox gave us, uh for this fight. Uh, 318 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:46,440 Speaker 1: you watched that Super Bowl. There were two thirty second commercials. 319 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:50,639 Speaker 1: I mean, if we had to purchase that on the market, 320 00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:53,520 Speaker 1: it would have cost us over eleven million dollars. I 321 00:19:53,600 --> 00:19:55,359 Speaker 1: was going to ask, did you pay for those or no? No, 322 00:19:56,720 --> 00:19:58,720 Speaker 1: they know how to promote the properties. They do it 323 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:01,240 Speaker 1: with wrestling from to do it. Let me ask you 324 00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:04,280 Speaker 1: something about promotion, though, and the ESPN did the same 325 00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:10,120 Speaker 1: thing with the college football championships, you know, the playoffs 326 00:20:10,359 --> 00:20:14,200 Speaker 1: and then the final. They publicized the hell out of 327 00:20:14,240 --> 00:20:16,040 Speaker 1: this fight. Let me ask you this, though, you're in 328 00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:19,680 Speaker 1: the business of promotion, and you've worked with Ali, who 329 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:22,680 Speaker 1: was probably better at promotion than anybody else in the 330 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:25,480 Speaker 1: history of sports. I'm gonna ask you to do the impossible. 331 00:20:25,560 --> 00:20:31,000 Speaker 1: Could you imagine and Ali figure today with all the 332 00:20:31,119 --> 00:20:34,760 Speaker 1: tools available Twitter, Facebook, the ability to talk to an 333 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:40,240 Speaker 1: audience seven at will, the kind of publicity that athletes 334 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:44,680 Speaker 1: can generate. Yeah, I agree. I mean Ali was the 335 00:20:44,800 --> 00:20:50,119 Speaker 1: greatest promoter that I've ever encountered. And you know, and 336 00:20:50,560 --> 00:20:55,320 Speaker 1: he he could manufacture sound bites like nobody else that 337 00:20:55,480 --> 00:21:02,879 Speaker 1: I've seen. However, you have to realize that politically, uh, 338 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:07,440 Speaker 1: when Ali was fighting uh, and even when he ended 339 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:14,200 Speaker 1: up fighting Fraser, UH, he was had been convicted of 340 00:21:15,560 --> 00:21:20,960 Speaker 1: violating the secrets the the UH Service, you know, not 341 00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:27,080 Speaker 1: going into the draft, avoid the draft. And even when 342 00:21:27,119 --> 00:21:31,479 Speaker 1: he fought Fraser, he had been convicted. And I believe 343 00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:35,520 Speaker 1: the Court of Appeals for the second circuit had affirmed 344 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:41,960 Speaker 1: that conviction, and so there was a whole political element. 345 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:49,800 Speaker 1: Uh that now if you imagine uh that him fighting 346 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:56,280 Speaker 1: Fraser now for the world title, we would have had 347 00:21:56,400 --> 00:22:02,920 Speaker 1: to battle that in addition to promoting the fight here. Unfortunately, 348 00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:06,720 Speaker 1: then a political issues at all you mentioned a little 349 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:09,320 Speaker 1: while ago. You know, the work that ESPN and Fox 350 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:12,680 Speaker 1: are doing kind of pro promotionally. The certainly the boxing 351 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:15,159 Speaker 1: media world seems to be changing very very quickly. For 352 00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:18,080 Speaker 1: a long time, you know, HBO and Showtime seemed very 353 00:22:18,119 --> 00:22:21,399 Speaker 1: dominant in there. And now we're seeing ESPN, we're seeing 354 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:25,280 Speaker 1: the Zone, we're seeing Fox. How different and how healthy 355 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:27,040 Speaker 1: do you think kind of this new model is for 356 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:30,200 Speaker 1: for boxing media versus kind of where it was maybe 357 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:36,560 Speaker 1: a decade ago. Again again, you know, people love to 358 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:43,040 Speaker 1: ride horses and riding horse and carriages and uh maybe 359 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:48,960 Speaker 1: uh it was good because we weren't burning fossil. Feel 360 00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:54,439 Speaker 1: like we're burning now. But that's over. That's over. Newspapers 361 00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:59,199 Speaker 1: are never coming back. Really, what's the newspaper? I mean 362 00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:04,639 Speaker 1: when when ali and phrases afford each other, and even 363 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:10,320 Speaker 1: twenty years later, every single major newspaper in the country 364 00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:15,600 Speaker 1: had a full time boxing writer. Now that's no longer 365 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:21,040 Speaker 1: the case because newspapers are fighting for their lives and 366 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:28,439 Speaker 1: can't afford uh to uh have full time writers. Uh. 367 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:35,240 Speaker 1: But we've made up the difference with all the internet publicity, UH, 368 00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:42,920 Speaker 1: with the uh the the social media, that's how you communicate. 369 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:48,040 Speaker 1: So it's different now from what it was before. But again, 370 00:23:48,160 --> 00:23:52,080 Speaker 1: when I started in in this border boxing promoting boxing 371 00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:57,200 Speaker 1: back in nineteen six six, there were no satellites, no 372 00:23:57,400 --> 00:24:02,200 Speaker 1: domestic satellites, no international satellites. And when we had a 373 00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:06,320 Speaker 1: fight of Muhammad Ali, we'd have to take the tape 374 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:09,720 Speaker 1: and fly at the London so that it could be 375 00:24:09,920 --> 00:24:14,920 Speaker 1: shown the next night. Uh. The world changes, man, you 376 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:17,680 Speaker 1: got to keep up with the change. Bob. You want 377 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:22,359 Speaker 1: a good story, I'm gonna tell you one. So when 378 00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:24,520 Speaker 1: I'm growing up again, I told her I was born 379 00:24:24,560 --> 00:24:27,320 Speaker 1: in nineteen seventy. I wanted to get involved in sports, 380 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:30,119 Speaker 1: and I loved every sport and my sisters, my obviously 381 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:32,800 Speaker 1: my family knew all about that. Do you do you 382 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:36,520 Speaker 1: think my sister, my older sister, would have told me 383 00:24:37,280 --> 00:24:41,560 Speaker 1: that her best friend her name was Jodie Lifer. Do 384 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:44,120 Speaker 1: you think that perhaps it would have been a good 385 00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:47,800 Speaker 1: thing for her to tell me that Jody's father was 386 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:53,000 Speaker 1: Neil Lifer, the photographer. Yeah, good friend of mine. He 387 00:24:53,119 --> 00:24:58,359 Speaker 1: took that iconic photo of Ali and listen, yes, and 388 00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:02,119 Speaker 1: my sister never me and he had a great photo, 389 00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:07,160 Speaker 1: another iconic photo when when Ali knocked out Cleveland Williams 390 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:11,600 Speaker 1: in the astrodome because he was an innovator. He is 391 00:25:11,640 --> 00:25:17,879 Speaker 1: an innovator, Neil is, and he had an automatic camera 392 00:25:18,080 --> 00:25:21,280 Speaker 1: in the ceiling so that he could press a button 393 00:25:21,359 --> 00:25:26,920 Speaker 1: at ringside, and that camera took the picture of Cleveland 394 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:32,879 Speaker 1: Williams stretched out on the canvas evert after Ali knocked 395 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:37,560 Speaker 1: him out. So I know, I am very familiar with 396 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:45,600 Speaker 1: Neil's work. He's absolutely he is to boxing photography. What 397 00:25:45,800 --> 00:25:49,840 Speaker 1: any liberis is the social photography. Nice analogy there, But 398 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:52,240 Speaker 1: tell me now again I started this, Boba, tell you 399 00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:56,840 Speaker 1: I'm not a huge boxing fan. What can all of 400 00:25:56,960 --> 00:26:00,880 Speaker 1: the stakeholders in boxing do to win you over, to say, 401 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:03,480 Speaker 1: give us a try, come back for more. You should 402 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:05,840 Speaker 1: watch us like you do the stick and ball sports. 403 00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:10,480 Speaker 1: What can be done? Watch Saturday night, watch this fight 404 00:26:10,720 --> 00:26:16,119 Speaker 1: Wilder and Fury and after that fight. If you're not 405 00:26:16,280 --> 00:26:20,680 Speaker 1: a boxing fan, that's really hooked on the sport. I 406 00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:26,440 Speaker 1: would be very surprised. This will be a really classic 407 00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:31,320 Speaker 1: fight and it will be what boxing is all about. 408 00:26:32,240 --> 00:26:37,320 Speaker 1: Watch this fight, and you're gonna see something really special 409 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:40,600 Speaker 1: and that will hook you once again on the sport. 410 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:42,880 Speaker 1: You know what, I did get hooked on And even 411 00:26:42,920 --> 00:26:46,000 Speaker 1: though the fights might have been ten seconds, I did 412 00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:48,960 Speaker 1: get hooked on Tyson because he was just such the 413 00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:52,199 Speaker 1: force of nature. Would there be a market from Mike 414 00:26:52,280 --> 00:26:54,359 Speaker 1: Tyson now if he wanted to come back and fight, 415 00:26:54,760 --> 00:26:57,000 Speaker 1: I don't care who the opponent is. Would there be 416 00:26:57,080 --> 00:26:59,959 Speaker 1: a market for Tyson just because people are so familiar 417 00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:03,159 Speaker 1: with the brand. Look, we're not talking about tiddly wings. 418 00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:08,520 Speaker 1: We're talking about boxing. It's a tough, tough sport. And 419 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:13,760 Speaker 1: you know, if older people compete in the sport, particularly 420 00:27:13,760 --> 00:27:18,800 Speaker 1: against younger people, they can get seriously hurt, even somebody 421 00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:23,000 Speaker 1: who had a punch like Mike Tyson. So I don't 422 00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:26,600 Speaker 1: think he would be licensed, and I wouldn't want him 423 00:27:26,640 --> 00:27:34,159 Speaker 1: to be licensed. I mean it's easy to imagine older fighters, uh, 424 00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:38,560 Speaker 1: because we remember how great they were when they were young. 425 00:27:39,320 --> 00:27:43,840 Speaker 1: But like houseman, uh poem to an athlete dying, young 426 00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:50,000 Speaker 1: athletes have very very short lives in the sport, and 427 00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:57,280 Speaker 1: once they've lived that life, they shouldn't be rescorrected, uh, 428 00:27:57,760 --> 00:28:01,080 Speaker 1: to continue on because they can get hurt. So, Bob, 429 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:04,320 Speaker 1: let's talk about it not as old fighter when you've 430 00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:07,560 Speaker 1: you've worked with for a long time. Manni Pacquiao still fighting. 431 00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:11,280 Speaker 1: Hearing a lot of rumors swirling about a potential fight 432 00:28:11,359 --> 00:28:14,440 Speaker 1: with Connor McGregor, maybe even a rematch with with with 433 00:28:14,680 --> 00:28:17,800 Speaker 1: with Floyd Mayweather. Do you think either of those fights 434 00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:20,159 Speaker 1: will happen in the next couple of years. Well, I 435 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:23,440 Speaker 1: don't know about the Mayweather fight, but I think it's 436 00:28:23,520 --> 00:28:27,280 Speaker 1: possible that it will fight Connor McGregor, or he might 437 00:28:27,520 --> 00:28:31,200 Speaker 1: fight one of the young welterways. Now, Manny is the 438 00:28:31,320 --> 00:28:36,000 Speaker 1: exception that proves the rule. But remember, you know, he's 439 00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:42,120 Speaker 1: forty over forty now and by this time most fighters 440 00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:47,080 Speaker 1: called to a career. But you know, he hasn't been retired. 441 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:53,320 Speaker 1: He's been fighting continuously, So if he wants to continue fighting, 442 00:28:53,440 --> 00:28:58,520 Speaker 1: I wouldn't advise it. But it's you know, not out 443 00:28:58,600 --> 00:29:05,760 Speaker 1: of the norm in a sense that he hasn't ever retired. Uh. 444 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:08,440 Speaker 1: And he's a terrific fighter, you know, and a great, 445 00:29:08,520 --> 00:29:14,720 Speaker 1: great person. And you know, UH, when you talk about 446 00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:19,200 Speaker 1: social welfare in the Philippines, it's Manny Pacia because he 447 00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:23,040 Speaker 1: gives most of his money to the people. So he's 448 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:27,160 Speaker 1: a great person. And uh, I just wish him well 449 00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:30,320 Speaker 1: in your own words, Why do you think Connor McGregor 450 00:29:30,520 --> 00:29:33,280 Speaker 1: is so intriguing for I mean, obviously his fight with 451 00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:35,880 Speaker 1: Floyd maywhether made a lot of money, but he is 452 00:29:35,920 --> 00:29:38,760 Speaker 1: not a trained boxer. It's his only professional boxing fight ever. 453 00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:41,760 Speaker 1: You know, why why is that fight so intriguing versus 454 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:43,880 Speaker 1: you know, maybe someone who's been a boxer for for 455 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:48,760 Speaker 1: a longer amount of time. Well, Connor McGregor really has 456 00:29:48,960 --> 00:29:58,320 Speaker 1: resonated with people. And uh, his last fight on UFC, 457 00:29:59,280 --> 00:30:02,600 Speaker 1: which was shown on pay per view on just the 458 00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:08,560 Speaker 1: ESPN plus on Just that outlet, which now has seven 459 00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:13,680 Speaker 1: and a half million subscribers, they did over a million 460 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:20,160 Speaker 1: pay per view, Uh at sixty dollars a pop. Finding 461 00:30:20,280 --> 00:30:24,760 Speaker 1: a pretty unknown guy, I mean, to do a million, 462 00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:32,520 Speaker 1: one hundred thousand buys on that platform, UH is absolutely amazing. 463 00:30:33,080 --> 00:30:39,280 Speaker 1: So Connor McGregor is somebody who has related to his 464 00:30:39,480 --> 00:30:45,480 Speaker 1: fan base and they will follow him anywhere. Uh as 465 00:30:45,640 --> 00:30:50,680 Speaker 1: he looks for more challenges. Uh, that's a phenomenon. That's 466 00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:55,000 Speaker 1: a phenomenon. Floyd Mayweather was a phenomenon. People loved him, 467 00:30:55,120 --> 00:30:58,280 Speaker 1: people hated him, but people always paid to watch it. 468 00:30:58,320 --> 00:31:00,720 Speaker 1: It always comes back to Howard Stern. This. I always 469 00:31:00,760 --> 00:31:03,720 Speaker 1: say this about Howard Stern. Half the audience tuned in 470 00:31:03,920 --> 00:31:07,440 Speaker 1: because they loved them, big portion tuned in because they 471 00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:09,800 Speaker 1: hated him, and then some tuned in just to see 472 00:31:09,840 --> 00:31:11,640 Speaker 1: what he would say next. Didn't matter why they're tuning in, 473 00:31:11,760 --> 00:31:14,880 Speaker 1: as long as the ears and eyeballs are there, right, Absolutely, 474 00:31:14,960 --> 00:31:17,720 Speaker 1: and there'll be a lot of vibe bawls Saturday night 475 00:31:18,280 --> 00:31:21,640 Speaker 1: when Tyson Fury and Wild to go at it. Uh 476 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:26,960 Speaker 1: too great, great heavyweight fight is two splendid young men. 477 00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:30,600 Speaker 1: I mean, if you want to know why boxing is 478 00:31:30,800 --> 00:31:34,240 Speaker 1: endured over the years and why it's a great sport, 479 00:31:34,640 --> 00:31:38,320 Speaker 1: you've got to watch that fight on Saturday night. So 480 00:31:38,440 --> 00:31:40,320 Speaker 1: you and I spoke a couple of years ago before 481 00:31:40,440 --> 00:31:43,440 Speaker 1: I believe, before the may Weather packing out fight, about 482 00:31:43,760 --> 00:31:45,720 Speaker 1: the amount of people that were calling you trying to 483 00:31:45,760 --> 00:31:49,480 Speaker 1: get tickets, Foreign dignitaries, celebrities, all known down the list. 484 00:31:49,680 --> 00:31:52,560 Speaker 1: What's been the demand like for for for tickets for 485 00:31:52,600 --> 00:31:56,400 Speaker 1: this one for this Wilder Fury fight, absolutely tremendous. Can 486 00:31:56,440 --> 00:31:59,520 Speaker 1: you give us some names who's reaching out? Well, you 487 00:31:59,600 --> 00:32:07,640 Speaker 1: know all I mean, uh you know Fox, Uh, Rupert's 488 00:32:07,680 --> 00:32:11,680 Speaker 1: son Laughlin is coming to the fight. All of the 489 00:32:12,400 --> 00:32:17,280 Speaker 1: brass at ESPN are coming to the fight. Uh, all 490 00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:26,080 Speaker 1: the company's uh Univision, Televisa, uh Liberty. Uh. Besides all 491 00:32:26,200 --> 00:32:31,000 Speaker 1: of the actors and athletes that will be there. I mean, 492 00:32:31,080 --> 00:32:35,080 Speaker 1: it's a huge, huge sterner. Everything is at a premium. 493 00:32:35,360 --> 00:32:38,320 Speaker 1: Jim Dolan is flying in from New York to be 494 00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:42,160 Speaker 1: at the fight. Uh. The one thing that gives me 495 00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:49,160 Speaker 1: pause and uh shutters is that our president uh is 496 00:32:49,320 --> 00:32:53,280 Speaker 1: speaking in Las Vegas at a rally on Friday night. 497 00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:57,160 Speaker 1: And if he decides he's a big fan, a boxing fan, 498 00:32:57,640 --> 00:33:01,800 Speaker 1: and if he decides to stay, oh bok, uh you 499 00:33:01,880 --> 00:33:05,320 Speaker 1: know he's the president, then he comes with security and everything. 500 00:33:05,600 --> 00:33:07,400 Speaker 1: I don't know where the hell we're going to put all. 501 00:33:07,800 --> 00:33:10,000 Speaker 1: We had the president of NASCAR on last week before 502 00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:11,880 Speaker 1: the Daytona Fred and we were talking with him a 503 00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:13,880 Speaker 1: little bit about kind of the preparation that has to 504 00:33:13,960 --> 00:33:16,480 Speaker 1: happen if the President of the United States comes to 505 00:33:16,520 --> 00:33:19,120 Speaker 1: your event. Donald Trump ended up going to the Daytona. 506 00:33:19,960 --> 00:33:22,760 Speaker 1: What do you guys have to do before the fight 507 00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:26,240 Speaker 1: to be able to accommodate you know, all the security 508 00:33:26,320 --> 00:33:28,560 Speaker 1: that comes along with do whatever the Secret Service tells 509 00:33:28,600 --> 00:33:31,320 Speaker 1: you to do. Well, what I do is I would 510 00:33:31,360 --> 00:33:37,520 Speaker 1: go to the printer and print a thousand Bloomberg signs 511 00:33:38,040 --> 00:33:40,920 Speaker 1: and have the people in the audience sold them off. 512 00:33:42,400 --> 00:33:44,400 Speaker 1: You know what, Bob, You've been around a long time, 513 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:46,120 Speaker 1: and I like to do this with folks who have 514 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:50,040 Speaker 1: seen the maturation of a sport, excuse me, the maturation 515 00:33:50,080 --> 00:33:53,440 Speaker 1: of a sport and an industry. What's your favorite story, 516 00:33:55,520 --> 00:33:59,800 Speaker 1: favorite story as far as what whether it's boxing, sports, ticketing, 517 00:33:59,840 --> 00:34:03,360 Speaker 1: you tell me, athletes, You've dealt with a lot of folks, 518 00:34:03,440 --> 00:34:05,800 Speaker 1: what's one of those? If you're a cocktail party, Um, 519 00:34:06,120 --> 00:34:09,239 Speaker 1: you tell somebody, you know what? You got to hear this? Well, 520 00:34:09,560 --> 00:34:13,800 Speaker 1: you know, I don't know whether I can really ratchet 521 00:34:13,920 --> 00:34:19,920 Speaker 1: up because there's so many unbelievably great stories, uh that 522 00:34:20,719 --> 00:34:27,279 Speaker 1: that I've experienced, Uh, And I really think uh that, 523 00:34:27,560 --> 00:34:31,359 Speaker 1: you know, I mean forget stories because I can tell 524 00:34:31,520 --> 00:34:34,400 Speaker 1: stories some of the off colors. Some are and I 525 00:34:34,480 --> 00:34:39,719 Speaker 1: mean Muhammad Ali with his attachment to the nation of Islam. Uh, 526 00:34:40,160 --> 00:34:45,400 Speaker 1: George Foreman Uh resurrecting himself, coming back and winning the 527 00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:49,360 Speaker 1: title at forty five years of age. And you know, 528 00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:52,359 Speaker 1: people were making fun of him when he came back, 529 00:34:52,480 --> 00:34:56,520 Speaker 1: that he was fat and old, and Uh, I told, 530 00:34:56,680 --> 00:34:59,040 Speaker 1: I said, George, don't get upset make a joke of 531 00:34:59,320 --> 00:35:04,719 Speaker 1: But and you know, George had this wonderful way of 532 00:35:04,960 --> 00:35:09,320 Speaker 1: presenting himself to the public. And now I have Tyson Fury. 533 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:13,640 Speaker 1: I mean, Tyson Fury. Just listened to him. I mean 534 00:35:13,760 --> 00:35:17,279 Speaker 1: I can spend like an afternoon listening to this guy. 535 00:35:17,880 --> 00:35:22,760 Speaker 1: He's very, very intelligent, he's very funny, and unlike Ali 536 00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:28,640 Speaker 1: who spoke in cliches, he speaks in paragraphs. So I'm 537 00:35:29,320 --> 00:35:32,160 Speaker 1: looking forward to the rest of this week because there'll 538 00:35:32,200 --> 00:35:36,880 Speaker 1: be a lot of opportunities for Tyson Fury to entertain 539 00:35:37,680 --> 00:35:43,480 Speaker 1: uh the public, to entertain the rioters, and to entertain me. Bob, 540 00:35:43,640 --> 00:35:45,640 Speaker 1: If the last question for you, if you could, if 541 00:35:45,719 --> 00:35:48,920 Speaker 1: if everyone's contracting boxing right now was torn up, and 542 00:35:49,200 --> 00:35:51,520 Speaker 1: I told you that you had free range of any 543 00:35:51,600 --> 00:35:53,880 Speaker 1: two boxers to promote a fight that would make the 544 00:35:53,960 --> 00:35:57,359 Speaker 1: most amount of money currently right now, what what would 545 00:35:57,360 --> 00:35:59,200 Speaker 1: be the fight that you think would be the biggest 546 00:35:59,320 --> 00:36:03,239 Speaker 1: draw from a total dollars and cents international standpoint. Well, 547 00:36:03,320 --> 00:36:08,440 Speaker 1: first I would partner with ESPN and Fox, and secondly 548 00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:14,479 Speaker 1: I would select Tyson Fury and Deante Wild. That works 549 00:36:14,480 --> 00:36:16,360 Speaker 1: out well for you, But I gotta tell you, no, 550 00:36:16,600 --> 00:36:18,640 Speaker 1: I'm gonna give you a last on this because you 551 00:36:18,719 --> 00:36:21,080 Speaker 1: said people made fun of George Foreman and they were 552 00:36:21,120 --> 00:36:23,480 Speaker 1: surprised with the come back, and they made fun of him, 553 00:36:24,160 --> 00:36:27,040 Speaker 1: but he understood. And I would wonder if other athletes, 554 00:36:27,120 --> 00:36:29,880 Speaker 1: modern athletes would learn what if I had told you 555 00:36:30,360 --> 00:36:33,120 Speaker 1: prior to him coming out with the George Foreman grill, 556 00:36:33,520 --> 00:36:36,880 Speaker 1: that licensing and name and using your personality to sell. 557 00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:39,200 Speaker 1: If I had told you there was a second career 558 00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:41,719 Speaker 1: in George Foreman in that, I think you might have 559 00:36:41,800 --> 00:36:45,440 Speaker 1: laughed as well. I would have laughed as well. But again, 560 00:36:46,239 --> 00:36:49,279 Speaker 1: and I'll tell you a story so we can end this. Uh. 561 00:36:50,120 --> 00:36:54,400 Speaker 1: After he retired, George called me and he said, Bob, 562 00:36:54,480 --> 00:36:58,000 Speaker 1: I got a problem. I said, what's the problem. He said, well, 563 00:36:58,080 --> 00:37:00,800 Speaker 1: they offered to buy my stock and the grill because 564 00:37:01,440 --> 00:37:03,920 Speaker 1: when he started, they didn't have that much money to 565 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:07,799 Speaker 1: pay him, so they gave him stock. And I said, yeah, 566 00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:10,759 Speaker 1: and I said, what do they or for you for it? 567 00:37:11,280 --> 00:37:15,240 Speaker 1: He said some like million. I said, George was the problem. 568 00:37:15,760 --> 00:37:17,759 Speaker 1: He said, the problem is how do I make it 569 00:37:17,920 --> 00:37:22,399 Speaker 1: capital gains? I said, George, I stopped practicing tax law 570 00:37:22,680 --> 00:37:25,279 Speaker 1: a long time ago. Get yourself a good tax lawyer 571 00:37:25,680 --> 00:37:29,240 Speaker 1: and they'll figure it out. And he said, great advice, 572 00:37:29,400 --> 00:37:31,759 Speaker 1: thank you. And he did, and they figured it out, 573 00:37:32,400 --> 00:37:36,840 Speaker 1: and George probably is one of the wealthiest form of 574 00:37:36,960 --> 00:37:40,040 Speaker 1: fighters around today. That's a problem that I would love 575 00:37:40,080 --> 00:37:44,120 Speaker 1: to have trying to figure out the capital gains on that. Absolutely. 576 00:37:44,360 --> 00:37:46,839 Speaker 1: Bob Aarum, CEO of Top Rank Boxing, thank you very 577 00:37:46,920 --> 00:37:50,360 Speaker 1: much for joining us. My pleasure. Okay, Scott, So my 578 00:37:50,520 --> 00:37:53,960 Speaker 1: big takeaway from that interview, boxers at the top level 579 00:37:54,120 --> 00:37:56,640 Speaker 1: get paid a lot of money. I think Bob Arum 580 00:37:56,680 --> 00:37:59,080 Speaker 1: did a very that's your takeaway, very very good job 581 00:37:59,120 --> 00:38:02,719 Speaker 1: of breaking down the way money works in this right. 582 00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:05,360 Speaker 1: For a big fight like the one that on Saturday 583 00:38:06,440 --> 00:38:10,160 Speaker 1: US TV, money pay per view obviously the biggest revenue driver. 584 00:38:10,560 --> 00:38:13,640 Speaker 1: You sell out fifteen sixteen million dollars of gate, you 585 00:38:13,719 --> 00:38:16,320 Speaker 1: get some pay per view in other countries, attack in 586 00:38:16,360 --> 00:38:20,279 Speaker 1: the sponsorships, you attack in the merchandise. Attack in some 587 00:38:20,360 --> 00:38:23,600 Speaker 1: other things and suddenly you're up to million dollars for 588 00:38:23,680 --> 00:38:25,960 Speaker 1: a for a big fight of that nature. My takeaway 589 00:38:26,160 --> 00:38:29,680 Speaker 1: is Bob is really with it, man Um. I mean 590 00:38:29,760 --> 00:38:33,279 Speaker 1: he's up on new media. Yeah. I would not be 591 00:38:33,360 --> 00:38:36,920 Speaker 1: surprised if Bob had himself a TikTok channel. We should 592 00:38:36,920 --> 00:38:39,200 Speaker 1: have asked, yeah, yeah, I mean he he really was 593 00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:43,240 Speaker 1: up on all new media, the different ways the fighters 594 00:38:43,280 --> 00:38:47,360 Speaker 1: promote themselves, And really, how great is it when you 595 00:38:47,480 --> 00:38:51,160 Speaker 1: can talk to a guy like Aarum and ask, well, 596 00:38:51,200 --> 00:38:54,920 Speaker 1: what would Muhammad Ali have done? Tell me about George Foreman, 597 00:38:55,320 --> 00:38:57,799 Speaker 1: what about Mike Tyson? I mean, this is a guy 598 00:38:57,880 --> 00:39:01,520 Speaker 1: who's really worked with the biggest and best and has 599 00:39:01,680 --> 00:39:05,520 Speaker 1: seen the industry at its height, at its at its 600 00:39:05,600 --> 00:39:08,680 Speaker 1: native as sort of a resurgence, and how technology is 601 00:39:08,719 --> 00:39:12,040 Speaker 1: helping any addresses at all. There aren't a lot of 602 00:39:12,200 --> 00:39:15,359 Speaker 1: people in sports who can do that, which is why 603 00:39:15,440 --> 00:39:18,640 Speaker 1: I am so thrilled that we had David Stern on 604 00:39:18,719 --> 00:39:22,560 Speaker 1: the show when we did, because you really can't get 605 00:39:22,719 --> 00:39:26,719 Speaker 1: that kind of perspective from that many people, and and 606 00:39:26,880 --> 00:39:31,040 Speaker 1: Aaron certainly was one of those who did it, and 607 00:39:31,360 --> 00:39:32,960 Speaker 1: the kind of guy boy you just want to sit 608 00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:35,080 Speaker 1: with for a few hours and say, as I asked him, 609 00:39:35,120 --> 00:39:37,000 Speaker 1: tell me your favorite story, but I'd like to hear 610 00:39:37,040 --> 00:39:38,719 Speaker 1: his top five and ten and with all the off 611 00:39:38,800 --> 00:39:46,239 Speaker 1: color stuff ringside. Also, yeah, ideally absolutely feels better to 612 00:39:46,280 --> 00:39:48,239 Speaker 1: be number one than number five. I'll wear a number 613 00:39:48,320 --> 00:39:49,840 Speaker 1: because of Mike. We have a chance to go for 614 00:39:49,920 --> 00:39:51,600 Speaker 1: three in a row. Kids numbers at a good time. 615 00:39:51,640 --> 00:39:53,680 Speaker 1: When I first started wearing the number, I would just 616 00:39:53,800 --> 00:39:57,799 Speaker 1: have the Floomberg business of sports, the number of the week. 617 00:39:58,760 --> 00:40:01,600 Speaker 1: Time now for the number of the week, and you 618 00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:04,239 Speaker 1: can play along at home. I'm going to give four 619 00:40:04,560 --> 00:40:09,919 Speaker 1: clues to this so and every know I know about 620 00:40:09,960 --> 00:40:11,879 Speaker 1: every ten seconds. I'm gonna move on to the next 621 00:40:11,920 --> 00:40:17,000 Speaker 1: clue every ten seconds, seconds, every two seconds. Uh, here's 622 00:40:17,040 --> 00:40:19,600 Speaker 1: the first one. It was valued that six hundred fifty 623 00:40:19,680 --> 00:40:26,880 Speaker 1: million dollars in Okay. Uh little basketball team was that 624 00:40:26,960 --> 00:40:33,880 Speaker 1: iron Man? Wow, you're right here. It's the term. What 625 00:40:34,080 --> 00:40:37,640 Speaker 1: is happening? Wanda Sports, the China based sports marketing and 626 00:40:37,800 --> 00:40:41,400 Speaker 1: event promoter, confirmed that it is engaging in preliminary discussions 627 00:40:41,840 --> 00:40:46,120 Speaker 1: on a potential sale of its iron Man triathlon business. 628 00:40:46,239 --> 00:40:48,759 Speaker 1: I was going to give four. You would have gotten four, Evan, 629 00:40:49,080 --> 00:40:54,800 Speaker 1: because as the terms include Aquabike, Clydesdale's and Negative Split. 630 00:40:58,160 --> 00:41:02,480 Speaker 1: Glad you have been listening to the Bloomberg Business of Sports. 631 00:41:02,560 --> 00:41:04,600 Speaker 1: We're here each and every week at the same time. 632 00:41:04,680 --> 00:41:07,760 Speaker 1: Scott is Good plus online wherever you get your podcast 633 00:41:07,800 --> 00:41:10,200 Speaker 1: and you can catch those Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. I'm 634 00:41:10,239 --> 00:41:13,280 Speaker 1: Michael Bar on Twitter at Big Bar Sports, Evie Williams 635 00:41:13,360 --> 00:41:17,120 Speaker 1: at Novie Underscore william and I'm Scott. When you're proud 636 00:41:17,200 --> 00:41:21,920 Speaker 1: of something I do, you're cavelling. Yes, you're cavelling, and 637 00:41:21,960 --> 00:41:24,399 Speaker 1: then you want to say you're for Clint. So watch 638 00:41:24,480 --> 00:41:26,040 Speaker 1: the view and now you'll get at all. You can 639 00:41:26,080 --> 00:41:28,920 Speaker 1: follow me on Twitter at sashnik. Thanks for joining us. 640 00:41:28,960 --> 00:41:30,560 Speaker 1: Please show it next week when we speak with the 641 00:41:30,640 --> 00:41:33,440 Speaker 1: biggest and brightest in the sports business industry. You're listening 642 00:41:33,440 --> 00:41:35,719 Speaker 1: to the Bloomberg Business of Sports and you can catch 643 00:41:35,800 --> 00:41:38,560 Speaker 1: the show wherever you get your podcasts.