Over the years, boxing fans’ commitment to the sport has been tested as the financial demands continue to climb. So much so, that many have regularly turned to pirated streams instead of shelling out the money. If Turki Alalshikh has his way, that trend will change.
While speaking to TalkSport, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority declared his intent to lower pay-per-view prices and ease that monetary burden.
“I dream of a pay-per-view with a good price to make the fans happy and subscribe and get them to watch it legally. Usually when I see a high PPV, a lot of people go and watch the fight illegally and this is not healthy for boxing and the platform.”
To entice those who would be tempted to turn to alternative means to watch, Turki Alalshikh is setting Riyadh Season’s upcoming card headlined by Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois for £19.95, which equates to roughly $12. Additionally, the Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev event will cost $20.
This is significantly lower than the $69.99 price tag attached to May’s Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk title fight. The high asking price is believed to have contributed to the reported 20 million illegal viewers and an estimated $124 million left on the table.
In Turki Alalshikh’s eyes, lowering prices to increase revenue is a matter of basic math. “I would prefer to have one million fans subscribe and buy the PPV for £20 than less than 500,000 [for £40]” he told the outlet.
“The people go around it illegally because the price is high. In the future, this will not build boxing. If I give the fans good fights at a good price, then I will increase the fanbase.”
Will Turki Alalshikh Extend His Low Prices to MMA?
As welcomed as this news may be to the ears of boxing fans, what about mixed martial arts? MMA fans have also been squeezed dry trying to keep up as paywalls and subscription fees continue to increase on a regular basis.
Related: EXCLUSIVE: BKFC President David Feldman Reveals the ‘Real Problem’ with Illegal Streaming
While Riyadh Season has dedicated most of its focus towards boxing, the promotion has also put its hand in MMA with its first PPV partnership with the UFC slated for September 14. UFC 306 is currently priced at $69.99 on an early bird special, with the final figure expected to hit the standard $79.99 closer to the event date.
That’s in addition to an ESPN+ subscription for fans in the United States.
UFC CEO Dana White has repeatedly voiced concerns about piracy and efforts to tackle the problem with the help of law enforcement. Perhaps the influence of combat sports’ newest power broker can convince the worldwide leader in MMA to try a gentler approach to piracy.
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