Showtime & HBO Charging $90 For Mayweather-Pacquiao PPV

[Fnord]

Boxing fans — and maybe even casual sports fans — have been waiting years for Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao to face off in the ring. Now the fight that's likely to obliterate all revenue records is happening, and archrival premium cablers HBO and Showtime are teaming up on the May 2 PPV telecast. That's because Mayweather has an exclusive six-fight deal with Showtime and Pacquiao has a contract with HBO. This will mark only the second time the premium nets have worked together on a PPV bout. The other was in 2002 when then-heavyweight champ Lennox Lewis, who had an exclusive deal with HBO, knocked out ex-champ Mike Tyson, who was with Showtime.

While Mayweather and Pacquiao circled each other in recent weeks, HBO and Showtime have been in talks about how to make it work on PPV. Reports say the fight could cost a record 89.95 to buy, and another 10 bucks for HD. Mayweather, who will put his undefeated record on the line in a welterweight championship unification match at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, is said to be getting a 60-40 split on the purse. No word on what that means for the HBO-Showtime deal, but the latter scored the all-time PPV revenue record of 152 million for its 2013 junior middleweight title fight between Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez. Mayweather also was involved in the bout that earned the most pay-per-views buys: 2.4 million for his 2007 win over an aging Oscar De La Hoya.

The PPV price point officially has been set at $89.95 — the highest ever. And it's up to the provider whether they want to bleed fans for another $10 to get hi-def. That $89.95 is 40% more than the previous PPV high-water mark of $64.95 for Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s fight against Canelo Alverez in September 2013 and the undefeated champ's two subsequent bouts against Marcos Maidana. Bottom line: If you buy the fight, make sure your freeloader buddies bring more than an open bag of Doritos.

[Cory]

Lol, stream it is.

[Tritch]

but the latter scored the all-time PPV revenue record of 0 million

uh, what?

[Fnord]

Yeah, that's weird. Fixed. 

[Fnord]

Also, I'm going to a strip club VIP event for this if anyone's gonna be in Chicago and wants to tag along. lol

[Justin]

This was a given.

[Jon]

Thank goodness for free streams!!!

[GM Franchise]

There's a reason Floyd's nickname is Money.

[Gravedigger]

I hope it's over faster than the last Rousey fight...

[Reya Serra]

I'll just do like I did with WWE for so many years until I got the Network...just wait until later that night/the next day for someone to bitch about the result. 

[Justin]

I wish I still had the black box. It saved a ton of money when Tyson used to knock people out in 32 seconds.

[FXBlade]

You guys really get stung.

Its 19.95 here, unless you wait until the day to order it and it goes up to 24.95

[Cory]

Surprised no one else has gotten hyped for this, guess its the state of boxing.

Im going to a WWE Live event saturday then heading to the nearest bar to check this out.

I'd rather Manny win because Floyd is the worst, but if I had to place a bet it'd be on Money. Manny has declined, he's stayed solid.

[Justin]

Surprised no one else has gotten hyped for this, guess its the state of boxing.

Im going to a WWE Live event saturday then heading to the nearest bar to check this out.

I'd rather Manny win because Floyd is the worst, but if I had to place a bet it'd be on Money. Manny has declined, he's stayed solid.

Mayweather with the 2nd round KO.

[Jon]

It's boxing...

Nobody really cares.

But my money is on money.