Hoping to channel the same kind of online buzz created by the recent UFC 129, Top Rank Boxing is partnering with NeuLion, Inc., to offer its first-ever enhanced online pay-per-view stream for Saturday’s fight between Manny Pacquiao and “Sugar” Shane Mosley.
“Because they weren’t getting traditional media coverage early on, I think MMA was at the forefront for their sport at understanding the new-media perspective of where the fans are, who’s engaged there, who’s dialed in there, who’s interacting there. I think we’ve all learned a lot from seeing how that fanbase works,” Top Rank president Todd duBoef told MMAJunkie.com.
As MMAJunkie reports, “MMA long has been recognized as a sort of new-media phenomenon, with the sport surviving almost solely on the Internet when it was briefly banned from television in the 1990s. More recently, the UFC has utilized social-media platforms such as Twitter to keep fans connected to the organization. Additionally, the UFC traditionally streams event interviews and press conferences for fans from around the globe. Boxing enthusiasts will have access to these things and more with the Pacquaio vs. Mosley stream, which is being offered at Top Rank Boxing’s official website, as well as Yahoo! Sports’ boxing page, for $54.99.
Similar to the UFC’s recent offerings with NeuLion, the Pacquiao vs. Mosley stream will feature a user-controlled DVR interface that includes multiple selectable camera angles and audio streams, MMAJunkie reports.