END OF AN ERA

HBO to Stop Broadcasting Boxing Matches

Pay channel says viewers just aren’t tuning in like they used to.

HBO has announced plans to stop broadcasting boxing matches after nearly five decades in the business, The New York Times reports. Peter Nelson, the executive vice president of HBO Sports, reportedly announced the move to production staffers on Thursday. “This is not a subjective decision. Our audience research informs us that boxing is no longer a determinant factor for subscribing to HBO,” Nelson told the Times. The last boxing match scheduled to be aired by the network is a middleweight title fight at Madison Square Garden set for Oct. 27. With more than 1,000 fights under its belt, HBO has reportedly seen a decline in viewership of boxing matches in recent months, with more viewers tuning in for popular series like Game of Thrones. The network’s decision to call it quits on boxing also comes as more and more digital platforms and streaming services seek to televise fights.