Evening star., 1939-07-03
Screening Of Contests
Planned 10 Boost
Interest in Ring
National Hookup With
Theuters Would Get
Show to $4,000, 900
BY GRANTLAND RICE,
Special Correspondent of The Star

NEW YORK, July (NA.NA0.-
John Reed Fitzpatrick, president of
Madison Square Garden, is dead
sure that television will make
startling additions to the fight game
and many other forms of sport.
"I'l tell you just what is going
to take place at very early date"
the colonel said. I'm the first place,
television already is here. 1t is
possible at this moment to televise
fight on a big screen at much
longer distances than most people
now believe. I have been making
close study of the entire business
for several weeks, as it affects Madi-
son Square Garden in big way.
I'll tell you what will happen soon
in some big fight. 1t is our intention
to sell the television rights to every
motion picture theater in the coun-
try. There are now some 10000
theaters that should be interested.
On the night of the fight each
theater can charge each patron an
extra 10 cents to look at the fight
in addition to seeing the motion
picture put on that same night.
100000 House" Foreseen.
This will mean that a big fight
will have an audience of approxi-
mately 100000 and that the extra
charge will net an additional rev.
enue for all concerned of around
s1,300,000. 1t may even go we'll
beyond that if the fight carries
Nationwide interest.
What will keep all the thou
sands, or more, who may have tele-
vision sets from staying at home and
getting the same returns?" I asked.
That part of it will be taken
care Of" Col. Fitzpatrick said. at
will be possible to direct the service
to our clients only. All outsiders
will be cut off, so far as the fight
is concerned.
Understand, this service will take
in more sporting events than fights.
Football and baseball at present are
not as easy to handle by television,
as the scene of action changes SO
quickly from one spot to another
but that also will come in time.
Not Apt to Hurt Gates.
For example, it would be easy
now to use one of our big indoor
track meets for television-or bas-
ket ball-or an ice carnival.
"Television has advanced so rap
idly that We now can use big mo-
ton picture screen and We can
extend the range far beyond earlier
limits"
This brought up another point.
What will happen to the attendance
and the gate receipts later on? If
any one can drop into motion pic
ture theater or some large club that
has the television rights, for small
fee, a dime or a quarter, and see the
fight or the football game or the
baseball game as it is played, where
will the crowds be and the old click
of the turnstiles?
Il don't believe television will af-
feet crowds to any large extent"
Fitzpatrick said You know there
was strong belief that radio would
wreck baseball crowds. Yet Brook
lyn, for one example, has broken
all records up through June.
Would Boom Theaters.
Il don't think there will be any
heavy cuts in local crowds. The
main point is that millions all over
the country, extra millions, will be
able to see any big competition that
takes place. This will add to the
revenue of the contestants, the pro-
moters and to motion picture thea
ters from coast to coast. 1t will mean
big boom for motion picture
houses 1t will extend the range of
vision from 10000 to 100000.
"All this may sound fantastic" the
boss of Madison Square Garden con-
tinued, but it is already on us. 1t
will only add to the vast boom in
sport which has carried on through
the depression. It will add many
millions of new followers to all sport
And all this will be at a low cost
to each individual who will have to
pay out only few cents to see any
contest he might care to look at"