“But we want the time zone of all the world, especially in America. If they allowed us to have Wembley late in the night, we want to do it in England. It is about the time and viewership,” said Alalshikh.
British fans have followed both heavyweights throughout their careers and have repeatedly stayed up into the early hours to watch major fights staged in Las Vegas and Saudi Arabia. Fury’s trilogy with Deontay Wilder, Anthony Joshua’s bouts in Saudi Arabia, and many other marquee events have all required UK fans to adjust their schedules.
The challenge is different in America.
While Fury and Joshua are well known among boxing fans, they are not household names in the United States. Their rivalry also lacks the same emotional investment that exists in Britain after years of failed negotiations and missed opportunities. To persuade more casual American viewers to tune in, the event benefits from either being held in the United States or airing during U.S. prime time.
A traditional Wembley main event around 10 or 11 p.m. would air in the United States during the late afternoon or early evening, well before the prime-time television window. A 1 a.m. ringwalk in London would instead begin around 8 p.m. ET, giving broadcasters access to a much larger potential audience and increasing the event’s commercial value through television ratings, sponsorship exposure, and pay-per-view sales.
From Alalshikh’s perspective, staging Fury vs. Joshua at Wembley is already a concession to British fans. Saudi Arabia could host the fight while scheduling it at a time that better suits the U.S. television market, and an American venue such as Las Vegas or New York would generate additional domestic media attention. Holding the fight in Britain gives fans the chance to witness one of the country’s biggest heavyweight matchups in person.
That is why organizers are seeking a later start rather than accepting Wembley’s traditional curfew. British fans are expected to watch Fury vs. Joshua regardless of where it takes place. The bigger challenge is attracting as many American viewers as possible to a fight that, while enormous in the UK, does not carry the same level of mainstream interest across the Atlantic.
