Will People Pay $100 to Watch the Fight of the Century?

By Karen Fratti 

If you haven’t done so already, you’d better hop on the line with your pay TV provider to order this weekend’s legendary fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. You’ll want to be glued to Twitter or a screen on Saturday.

The fight, presented by HBO, is already being promoted across social with the #MayweatherPacquiao. They’ve started releasing exclusive content on YouTube, like this “Legends Speak” episode:
It’s yet another example that despite all the new ways to watch TV, including HBO, some things just might never change. Following this past weekend on ABC and CNN,  America (or in next weekend’s case, the world) will gather around to watch linear television. People will actually order pay-per-view for $99. How retro, right?

Although some are predicting it might be a blowout for Pay Per View. From Forbes:

What [he] is largely referring to is the potential for widespread illegal streaming of the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight.  It is a serious concern for sporting event operators, who acknowledge the existence of illegal streaming services that violate copyrights and serve as a major threat to an event’s bottom line.  However, Jones notes that this population is Internet savvy and many people know where to find live streams.  That, in addition to a steep $100 asking price on Pay Per View, may lead to a number of PPV buys lower than what is currently being anticipated.

I don’t know. Between the Kentucky Derby, the NFL draft, and some Yankee-Red Sox action, Saturday is going to be a big day. Some things will never change. Big, live broadcasts, whether it’s American Idol, the Oscars or the most important fight since forever. I don’t think you just YouTube highlights the next day, or mess around with unknown streams.

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