How Did Boxing Become Such an Elaborate Spectator Experience?

Floyd “Money” Mayweather didn’t earn his nickname for nothing. The boxing star fought in three of the most expensive fights of all time, earning more than half a billion dollars in the process. The sport is one of the most elaborate spectator experiences on the planet, with millions of people tuning in for fight streams around the world.

Boxing arguably led to the live-streaming boom that occurred over the last decade online. But how did it become such an incredible spectacle?

A Precursor to Modern Live Shows

The internet is now obsessed with live action, and it comes in the form of highly accessible live-streaming options. The live casino market is one of the best examples of this, with players able to access countless gambling games with real world dealers. For instance, there are diverse titles like Paddy’s Mansion Heist, Live XXXtreme Lightning Roulette, and All Bets Blackjack Live.

Way before the live-streaming platform took off though, boxing matches were delivered in this format as pay-per-view events. Indeed, the fight industry often eschewed the traditional spectator sport viewing formats, making matches feel more exclusive as specially paid-for events. The fact that these bouts were one-time events with lots of build up beforehand made them feel like a more unique experience to other sports.

The Rise of the Boxing Arena

To figure out how boxing became such an incredible spectator sport watched by an estimated two billion viewers globally, you have to trace it back to its roots. The activity is one of the oldest sports in existence, dating back thousands of years. In fact, if you travelled back to the Roman era, you’d be able to see some hand-to-hand combat in action. Of course, back then, it would often end in the death of one of the contestants – things are slightly more civilised these days.

Back in ancient times, the first arenas came about, cementing boxing as a spectator sport. But it was in Victorian England that the sport started to grow into what it is today. When Queensbury Rules was invented in 1867 by John Douglas, it transformed boxing into a viable and sustainable sport. This made it more refined, and helped expand its appeal to a more diverse audience. This, in turn, led to greater marketing efforts to turn bouts into monumental occasions.

The Modern Live Experience

The modern live experience has been enhanced tenfold by the advent of technology and its continuous evolution. Now, event organisers can use myriad tools to promote their events, through social media, games, and other avenues that help matches get in front of as many eyes as possible.

This has led to some of the most expensive matchups of all time, such as Mayweather vs Conor McGregor in 2017. That raked in an estimated revenue of $550 million, with both fighters earning gargantuan fees for their participation.

Boxing has grown into so much more than a sport. It’s a combination of everything that surrounds it: the social media campaigns, the related entertainment, and the well-documented real-world beefs between fighters. Along with enhanced technology and camera angles, this has all added up to make boxing one of the greatest spectator experiences on the planet.