As the demand for boxing content continues to rise, this week sees the relaunch of reality series, The Contender. This version, which marks the fifth season, begins Friday night at 9p and run until November, moving to EPIX for the first time and a format that will feature full fights for the first time. In addition to Mark Burnett, the show returns a slate of the original production talent, including executive producer Eric Van Wagenen. Cynopsis asked Van Wagenen about what may make this new “Contender” a knockout this fall.
Van Wagenen on bringing back The Contender: I think boxing as a sport has made resurgence since we were last on the air, especially in the lower and middle weight divisions. The television marketplace has also changed significantly since our premier in ’05. Back then, the big networks were king and you could only survive with big network audiences, 10-15 million viewers per week. Now with so many network and streaming options available, a show’s success is measured in other ways… how passionate is the fan base? Are they active on social media? What kinds of advertisers are attracted to the demographic? Boxing is a sport with a passionate fanbase who will seek out and pay for boxing programming.
On changes to the show: Premium cable is allowing us a lot of creative freedom to produce this show in 2018. There are no commercial breaks, no censorship for language or content, and each hour long episode is actually an hour long. Additionally, the fights are shown in their entirety – as they happened – without any music, sound effects, or deceptive editing.
On the show’s legacy: The original Contender was one of the very first sports-based reality series. The format has been successfully utilized by “The Ultimate Fighter” for years, and shows like HBO’s “24/7” and Showtime’s “All Access” implemented some of the high production values and featured the intimate backstories that the original Contender was known for. A good format is a good format, and the authentic drama that occurs in any sports tournament will always make for great TV.
On selecting fighters and personalities: Of course personality is an important factor in casting, and anyone who follows boxing knows that boxers are naturally big personalities. We were able to find a very diverse cast from different backgrounds and from different parts of the country. We have veteran boxers, undefeated prospects, sons of legendary boxers, Olympians, guys that have fought world-class competition, and guys that are just looking for an opportunity to be discovered. There’s someone for everyone to cheer for.
On the popularity of boxing: I think that much of the enthusiasm around boxing – and all combat sports – is driven by the internet and social media. Over the years, fans have grown accustomed to seeking out content through alternative media. Unlike during our first seasons, we now have multiple social media platforms that will support our viewers with extra content and keep fans actively engaged during the run of the series.
