By: Sean Crose
The highly anticipated September 21st pay-per-view event between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois will cost $19.99 for Americans to watch on pay-per-view. That’s right, $19.99… that’s about twenty bucks for Americans to watch the hard-hitting Brits take to Wembley Stadium to fight for the IBF heavyweight championship of the world. Considering most pay-per-views cost upwards of a hundred bucks, the Joshua-Dubois price tag is a steal for American fans. Even the UFC, which is known for charging less than boxing when it comes to pay-per-view events, can’t compete with this event.
Perhaps we can now understand why Turki Alalshikh, the Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority, is called “Sir”. Simply put, the man takes the fight game seriously and has proven it time and time again. Alashikh has not only cut the cost of pay-per-view; he has also promoted Joshua-Dubois in both fighters’ home countries, England. Considering that big fights are currently taking place in Alashikh’s home country of Saudi Arabia (the highly anticipated rematch between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk is set to be staged by the Middle Eastern kingdom this December) as well as elsewhere, it’s easy to see how serious Alashikh is about transforming the sport.
“You mentioned PPV, I think this is my next big fight and I would like to get your advice as well,” he said talk SPORTS last week. “I dream of a PPV with a good price to make the fans happy and subscribe to watch legally.” The truth is that Alashikh is aware of the problem of illegal streaming and wants to do something about it. “Usually when I see a high PPV,” he said, “a lot of people will come to watch the fight illegally and that is not good for boxing and the platform.”
According to Forbes Magazine, If Alashikh’s plans come to fruition, “it will be interesting to see how the UFC adjusts its pricing, or if it adjusts pricing in the future.” Whatever else can be said about Alashikh, he certainly has a plan for boxing. “If I give the fans good fights at a good price,” he says, “then I’ll grow the fan base.” Indeed, one of the biggest problems facing boxing is that pay-per-view is too expensive and the best aren’t fighting the best. Things could change dramatically if prices drop and quality matchups begin to dominate boxing culture.
