Boxing on internet-tv: Joost

Inspired by hitmandonny's recent post on 'Boxing and it's marketing' and helped by having a day of sickleave � oh, how I hate the flu! � I set out somewhat systematically watch and uncover the different ways of watching boxing off the internet. Now, we all know (or should know at least) that it's relatively easy to get access to most fights. Problem is imo that most of the times, we as fans need to actively pursue a given fight. Despite the numerous youtube links � or semi-legal databases for that matter � most times one has to either stumble across a link, or do a search on a figther or a fight oneself. Some of these problems � and the small matter of things being legal or not, if that is something one should care about � might be helped by some of the new TV-platforms that are springing up. I've tried to give a basic review of some of these � pro's and cons etc � as I thought it might be of interest to some of you fine gentlemen as well.

It goes without saying that comments, suggestions, additional programs/platforms etc. would be appreciated.

Joost: Joost - Free online TV - Comedy, cartoons, sports, music and more - Download today

Boxing currently available:

SecondsOut.tv: SecondsOut.tv - Joost (Among others Duddy-Bonsante, EBU 175 champYuri Barashian, EBU 130 champ Gulyakevich, the always entertaining Christophe Canclaux (154), Matthew Hatton, Michael Sprott, Eastman-Soliman, Scott Dann, various fights with Roman Greenberg, Brian Magee and Damaen Kelly).

Fight Network: Fight Network - Joost (Not so much boxing, but a few old Ballroom Boxing fights, including the Dirrell brothers and Chazz Witherspoon). '

Showtime: Not available in Europe, but looks like there is one 'highlight'-programme. Hopefully more boxing to come here.

Versus: Comes up when searching for boxing, but no fights currently availaible.

Pro's:

- It's free.
- It's looks and works classy. Worked smoothly for me, despite a relative dodgy internet connection.
- Much better to watch 'tv' this way, than through youtube, google video or the like.
- Plenty of other non-boxing related things available � including e.g. NBA and NHL stuff.
- The material available changes regularly.

Con's:

- You need to download a program.
- You need to register (fairly easy though).
- Most of the boxing available is old (ie. before 2007), and the selection is still fairly limited.
- Some of the channels are limited to certain countries. Showtime for example only works in the US.
- The material available changes regularly.

Small review:

I've written about Joost - which happens to be Danish, and invented by the same guys who invented Skype - here before (in my very first post :)) - and I still like the program. Perhaps it's a bit more of a case of dreaming of what it might become, than a realistic view of what it currently is though. But the potential, oh the potential.

I do think however that people should check it out, if not for the boxing, then at least for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Channel. Good stuff, indeed. As for boxing, I was checking out a Gulyakevich fight (nice KO by the way), Chazz Witherspoon-Yul Witherspoon, Ahmed Kaddour-Wilmer Meija (probably Kaddour's highest profile win away from Denmark, and a fight I had never seen before) and finally highly touted prospect Stash Kashtanov gainst Michael Henrotin (decent fight, but almost worth watching only to hear commentar Glen Johnson comments on the 168 division).