Read this article posted today.

http://boxing.about.com/

• RE: Mark Burnett saya that if NBC doesn't want Contender they'll go elsewhere.,SportyOne, 11:54 PM, 05-25-05
  • RE: Mark Burnett saya that if NBC doesn't want Contender they'll go elsewhere.,VegasFightWriter, 00:15 AM, 05-26-05
    • RE: Mark Burnett saya that if NBC doesn't want Contender they'll go elsewhere.,PagongRatEater, 00:47 AM, 05-26-05
• RE: Mark Burnett saya that if NBC doesn't want Contender they'll go elsewhere.,jenniferlyn, 05:18 AM, 05-26-05

Going to another network would be a step down and an embarrassment. Let it go.

I was just discussing this with someone and made the same point as you. As has been clearly evidenced the past couple of days, EPMB cares, more than anything else, about making $$$. (And fair enough; why shouldn't he, after all?). I can't see him settling for, say, Spike TV-type money. Indeed, it would take network cash to make this thing work, unless the purses for future seasons were a fifty dollar gift voucher and a Greyhound ticket home.

I disagree on Burnett and the money. He loves Eco-Challenge and until war made them cancel the contest, he would faithfully produce it for USA Network every season because he loved it. I don't know if he feels the same way about this show, but there's also nothing stopping him from taking it to FOX, NBC or CBS. Another network that supports and promotes the show could get a big payoff in ratings and Burnett would get to give NBC a nice heaping plate of "how do you like THAT?"

Wow, I really hope that EPMB will take the show to another network, someone like CBS maybe. I'm getting frustrated reading articles about how NBC screwed up the ratings by taking it from Thursdays and putting it in the Sunday slot, and also about how people don't think that women watch the show. However, I read that it wasn't so much EPMB that was mad about the time switch as it was Sly who vowed not to do a second season because of the change. I would hope that EPMB sees that there are millions of female boxing fans that will follow the show to whatever network is smart enough to snatch it up!! Besides, I hear that there's a ripoff show coming out soon from another network (FOX I think) and there's just no chance that will even be in the same ballpark as Contender, but what else can we do if they aren't bringing Contender back??