HBO will no longer cover professional boxing as of 2019, HBO announced in a statement Thursday, ending a 45-year run that featured 1,111 bouts.
HBO Sports had reportedly been much less interested in bidding for fights in recent years as other outlets like ESPN and Fox both have announced long-term commitments to boxing on television. Additionally, ESPN has added an online streaming service that includes even more boxing coverage.
"Boxing has been part of our heritage for decades. During that time, the sport has undergone a transformation. It is now widely available on a host of networks and streaming services," HBO said in a statement.
"There is more boxing than ever being televised and distributed. In some cases, this programming is very good. But from an entertainment point of view, it's not unique. Going forward in 2019, we will be pivoting away from programming live boxing on HBO."
The last bout on HBO's schedule is slated for October 27, when Daniel Jacobs and Sergiy Derevyanchenko will square off for the vacant IBF middleweight title.