An entity worth saving

THE EDITOR, Madam:

As I rolled out of bed this morning and opened the SportsMax YouTube channel – my go-to for all things Caribbean sports – I stumbled across a video I never expected to see: an announcement that SportsMax will shut down on August 8, 2025.

As a Jamaican living in the diaspora, this hit hard. SportsMax has long been my most trusted source for factual, balanced, and authentically Caribbean sports coverage. And though I don’t always agree with every analyst or panel, one thing’s clear: the network has consistently delivered the most credible stories in regional sport.

This is more than the end of a broadcast licence. This is the silencing of a voice that has helped define how we, as Caribbean people, see ourselves on the world sporting stage.

It was through SportsMax that I relived the brilliance of the West Indies’ T20 World Cup triumphs in 2012 and 2016 – moments that brought Caribbean pride roaring back to global cricket. It was where I followed the Reggae Boyz’s historic run to the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals, a reminder that our football story is still being written. From the record-breaking feats of Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce to the meteoric rise of Julien Alfred, SportsMax kept us in the loop, informed and inspired.

Even when the network didn’t carry these events live, we could always count on it for expert commentary, thorough breakdowns, and regionally relevant analysis. If a sporting moment mattered – whether in Kingston, Port of Spain, London, or Doha – SportsMax covered it with context, credibility, and a Caribbean lens. That consistency is part of what made the channel so essential to fans across the region and the diaspora.

CALL TO ACTION

And it wasn’t just about covering the headlines. SportsMax gave visibility to local high school championships, netball tournaments, youth football, and track meets. These weren’t just filler segments, they were treated with respect and attention, highlighting the talent being nurtured across the region. This kind of coverage is rare. Without it, many of these stories would have never left the stadium.

More importantly, SportsMax created a space for fan voices. It was where Caribbean sports fans could weigh in, argue passionately, laugh, celebrate, and mourn together. In a region divided by geography but connected by culture, SportsMax became common ground.

According to a 2023 Caribbean Broadcasting Union survey, SportsMax was the most-watched and most-trusted sports network in the region, reaching over 2.7 million viewers across 26 territories. That kind of reach doesn’t happen by accident, it’s earned, over time, with consistency and commitment.

Which makes this shutdown even harder to accept.

This is a call to action. To our private sector leaders, regional entrepreneurs, and diaspora investors: we must step up. If there’s any brand worth saving, it’s this one. SportsMax has already done the hard part – building the audience, proving the value, and raising the standard. Now we need bold thinking to keep it alive, whether through partnership, acquisition, or innovation.

We’ve come together before to save cricket boards, cultural festivals, and even struggling airlines. Let’s do the same for SportsMax.

JOHNOY J. DAVIS

Atlanta, Georgia