For a fight that was once thought of as pure fantasy, it’s still hard to wrap my mind around the fact that we are less than a month away from witnessing Floyd Mayweather fight Conor McGregor in a boxing match. It will surely be the highest grossing pay-per-view event of all-time (no matter how lopsided of a fight it might be) and everything is being done to reach as many people as possible.
This week Showtime announced the steps it would be taking to ensure Mayweather-McGregor is “the most widely distributed pay-per-view event of all time.” In addition to traditional pay-per-view viewing options, there will also be online and streaming access for the fight as Showtime takes it directly to consumers.
Here’s more details:
Mayweather returns to the ring to battle UFC champion “The Notorious” Conor McGregor is expected to be the most widely distributed pay-per-view event of all time. The once-in-a-lifetime Mayweather vs. McGregor showdown will be available for purchase through cable, DBS, telco and streaming providers nationwide, as well as UFC.tv.
The fight will also be available through Fathom Events in movie theaters and at select bars and restaurants nationwide. For the first time, SHOWTIME will also make the boxing event available directly to consumers on ShowtimePPV.com and through the SHOWTIME PPV application available on Apple mobile and Apple TV (4th Generation) devices. The fight will be available for purchase on the SHOWTIME PPV website and through the SHOWTIME PPV app in the Apple App store in the coming days. Produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV, Mayweather Vs. McGregor will take place on Saturday, August 26 at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
In addition, consumers on the SHOWTIME PPV website and application will have access to a special free trial for the SHOWTIME standalone streaming service and CBS All Access. SHOWTIME will offer additional content on the app and website for free, including exciting fight content leading up to the main event.
Seems like a good deal, especially for all of the cord cutters out there that may not otherwise have access to the fight in their homes. The fact that the fight will be available on multiple online and streaming platforms is great for fans.
And Showtime is wisely using it as a marketing device for their product. The free trial for the streaming service and CBS All Access is actually pretty ingenious when you think about it with all the new customers likely to come in for the first time via ordering the fight. Hopefully it encourages more outlets to get more creative in marketing their big events as more and more of the masses move towards streaming outlets.
[H/T Boxing News 24]
