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Monday, 2 September 2024

Ahead Joshua/ Dubois clash: Saudi boxing chief hopes to lower PPV prices

Saudi boxing chief HE Turki Alalshikh has told talkSPORT that he intends to 'fix' boxing's rising pay-per-view prices.

Boxing fans have been left disillusioned with how much it now costs to watch the sport's biggest fights, leading to a rise in illegal streaming.

According to some claims, 20 million people illegally streamed Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk's historic undisputed heavyweight clash in May, costing TV rights holders around £95 million in lost revenue. 

Eighteen per cent of those watching illegally were from the UK, where the price was set at £25, while 25 per cent came from North America.

United States PPV prices have been ludicrously high for some time.

Fury vs Usyk was priced at $69.99 in the United States, where punters have come to expect $50-plus fees for blockbuster showdowns.

In an attempt to tackle illegal streaming and appease boxing fans around the world, HE Alalshikh has promised to drastically cut PPV prices for all Riyadh Season cards, starting with Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois on September 21.

"You mention the PPV, I think this is my next big fight and I want your advice also," he told talkSPORT's Jordan and White show on Monday morning.

"I dream of a PPV 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.

"What I will try to push is to have our Riyadh Season shows at less than £20 in England and less than $20 around the world...

"I would prefer to have one million fans subscribe and buy the PPV for £20 than less than 500,000 [for £40].

"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."

Joshua vs Dubois will be available for £19.95 in the UK, with prices elsewhere yet to be officially confirmed.


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