• Loading stock data...
Monday, June 2, 2025

Showtime Boxing to Close As Paramount Shifts Focus

  • Network announced the “difficult decision” leading to the division winding down by year’s end.
  • Showtime has been a staple of boxing coverage since 1986.
Showtime
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Paramount is ending Showtime Boxing’s nearly four-decade run in the sport, the first move toward what could be an exit from combat sports altogether. 

Paramount announced on Tuesday that it will shutter Showtime Sports at the end of this year. The move wasn’t shocking to boxing insiders and those who follow Paramount’s recent cost-cutting moves, including the potential sale of Bellator

“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,” Paramount said in a statement. “We want to express our deepest gratitude to our employees who have contributed to this award-winning sports programming over multiple decades.”

Showtime was left as the only traditional premium channel to broadcast boxing after HBO exited the sport in 2018. HBO had been a boxing mainstay for 43 years.  

Showtime began broadcasting boxing — both on the network and later on pay-per-view — in 1986. 

ESPN was the first outlet to report that Paramount was exiting the boxing business. 

And Tuesday’s announcement will lead to the eliminating of 38 employees of Showtime Sports, not counting Bellator, which remains in limbo as sales talks continue. 

“It is with profound disappointment that I shared this morning’s news that the company has decided to shut down Showtime Sports at the end of this year,” Showtime Sports President Stephen Espinoza said in an email to employees obtained by Front Office Sports.  “We have helped illuminate the intersection of sports, culture and society, and we have boldly and unapologetically explored stories and themes that others couldn’t or wouldn’t. And we have done it all with the highest standards of care and quality. 

“The company’s decision is not a reflection of the work we have done in recent years, nor of our long and proud history. It is not an indictment on the value we have delivered to this network for 37 years, nor, in particular, in 2023. Unfortunately, in a rapidly evolving media marketplace, the company has had to make difficult choices allocating resources, resetting priorities and reshaping its content offering.”

Paramount has discussed selling Bellator for several months, including with the Professional Fighters League, which valued Bellator at $500 million. 

“These things take time, and until the time gets solidified, to me it’s just speculation,” Bellator President Scott Coker said earlier this month per MMA Fighting. “…So hopefully there’s some clarity soon and we’ll find out what’s going on.”

Paramount will also be shuttering Showtime’s Sports’ documentary team that secured Emmy wins for “McEnroe,” “Outcry” and four other documentaries, and Showtime Basketball — which produces the “All The Smoke” podcast featuring former NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. 

It’s expected that the popular “All The Smoke” show will find a home with another platform.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Vince McMahon

Former WWE Exec Flips on Vince McMahon in Sex Abuse Lawsuit

Janel Grant and John Laurinaitis announced their settlement Wednesday.
Vince McMahon

Vince McMahon Could Have to Turn Over Hush Money Documents in Court

Suing shareholders want to know his “state of mind” during UFC merger.
Sponsored

Win. Advance. Repeat: The Professional Fighters League’s Rise to Prominence 

As of 2025, PFL has introduced a World Tournament format, where every fighter must battle through a high-stakes bracket to reach a championship.
Dec 11, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Darrick Minner moves in with a hit against Ryan Hall during UFC 269 at T-Mobile Arena

UFC Fighters Suspended Over Roles in Fight-Rigging Scheme

One fighter called his three-year ban “insane.”

Featured Today

PSG and the City of Paris Can Join European Soccer’s Elite

What a maiden Champions League title would mean for the French club.
May 30, 2025

How the Champions League Anthem Took on a Life of Its Own

The composer didn’t know he wrote a timeless hit three decades ago.
May 25, 2025

How Rolex Paved the Way for Luxury’s Love Affair With Tennis

“It’s almost impossible to think about tennis without thinking about Rolex.”
Mar 23, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Alexandra Eala (PHI) reacts after winning a point against Madison Keys (USA)(not pictured) on day six of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium.
May 24, 2025

Alex Eala Is Defying Her Country’s Odds to Make French Open History

The Philippines native has overcome a unique set of financial odds.
May 30, 2025

Panthers-Oilers Rematch Could Be Big in Canada. Will U.S. Ratings Dip?

Likely viewership declines in the U.S. are countered by robust Canadian audiences.
May 30, 2025

French Open Scheduling Sparks Backlash Over Women’s Time Slots

Coco Gauff has also said the French Open schedule could be improved.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

In Episode 7 of Portfolio Players, go inside the boardroom with Avenue Capital CEO and former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry on Giannis’s future, women’s sports, and upstart leagues like TGL and Unrivaled. 
May 28, 2025

NBA East Finals Delivers Strong TV Ratings, but West Is Struggling

The Pacers and Thunder are both up 3–1 in their conference finals series.
Around the Horn
May 23, 2025

Behind the Scenes of Around the Horn’s Final Days

FOS followed Tony Reali at the penultimate taping of the ESPN icon.
Around the Horn - October 26, 2020
May 23, 2025

‘Quirky, Nutty, Bombastic’: 10 ‘Around the Horn’ Faces on Their Top Moments

“A quirky, nutty, bombastic, mostly wrong, sometimes right, crazy sports family.”
May 22, 2025

NBC Eyes MLB Rights, Looks to Own Sunday Nights Year-Round

The league continues to shop media rights being forfeited by ESPN.