It’s finally here. It may be 8 or 5 or 3 years too late, but it’s finally here. The two best pound for pound fighters of the last generation will step into the ring on May 2nd when Floyd Mayweather fights Manny Pacquiao.
One of the hurdles to the megafight was the fact that Mayweather is a Showtime fighter while Pacquiao boxes under the HBO banner. Thankfully, the networks will come together to share in the broadcast and the revenue. According to ESPN, HBO and Showtime will have a joint pay-per-view telecast that could cost in upwards of $89.95. It’s the second time the two pay cable giants have come together to jointly produce a fight after Lewis-Tyson in 2002.
Both networks released a joint statement after the announcement of the fight:
–Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports:
“Everyone involved, including Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, knows this fight simply had to happen. All of us are thrilled to be able to deliver this event to boxing fans around the world. Now, for the second time under his current deal with Showtime Networks, Floyd Mayweather has agreed to fight an opponent that many people thought he’d never face. We set an all-time pay-per-view record with the first event back in September 2013, and we look forward to another record-breaking performance on May 2.”
–Ken Hershman, President, HBO Sports:
“Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather have been the two most prominent fighters in the sport of boxing for the past decade, and fight fans around the world have been clamoring for them to face each other. And now, on May 2nd, in what everyone believes will be the biggest boxing event of all-time, fight fans have been granted their wish. May 2nd will be a signature moment for the sport of boxing and HBO Sports is thrilled to be a part of this spectacular event. I know the fighters and their teams will be primed to excel and we plan to work closely with everyone involved to deliver the same level of performance from a broadcast perspective.”
There were so many complications to finally getting this deal done and bringing HBO and Showtime together was one of them. While it shouldn’t have taken this long, we’re glad the day has finally come. From the media side, it’ll be interesting to see who calls the fight or what personnel might come together for a joint telecast. (Just to bring this full circle, let’s hope Showtime’s Brian Kenny gets an interview with Floyd Mayweather at some point.)
Regardless of the split in revenue, announcers, and rights, the fight will set every record imaginable and every party involved will probably make more money than the GDP of many island nations. It’s about time.
