Why did television both help and harm professional boxing after World War II?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Floyd Mayweather Jr., wearing black and gold trunks, lands a left punch on Manny Pacquiao, in yellow trunks, during their welterweight title fight in a boxing ring. — boxing Manny Pacquiao (right) and Floyd Mayweather, Jr., in their 2015 welterweight bout; Mayweather won in a unanimous decision.

Following World War II, television became a transformative force for professional boxing, acting as both a catalyst for growth and a source of decline for the sport.1

How Television Helped

Television significantly increased the financial scale of boxing. By broadcasting events via closed-circuit television and later pay-per-view, the sport generated massive revenues, leading to multimillion-dollar purses for fighters by the 1970s and 1980s. Its popularity as affordable programming also helped sustain the sport's visibility during various eras, including a notable revival in the late 1970s.1

How Television Harmed

Conversely, the medium negatively impacted the sport's infrastructure and integrity:
* Loss of Training Grounds: The rise of televised boxing led to the demise of local boxing clubs, which had served as essential training grounds for young fighters.1
* Dilution of Talent: Frequent scheduling created a saturation of content, leading to a talent pool dilution and an increase in inevitable mismatches.1
* Public Perception: Televising brutal injuries and fatalities, such as the death of Benny (“Kid”) Paret, damaged the sport's reputation with the viewing public.1