Filipino commercial broadcaster ABS-CBN has struck a deal to distribute media rights across the Middle East for the upcoming world welterweight boxing clash between Manny Pacquiao from the Philippines and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
ABS-CBN agreed the deal with the event’s co-promoters, Mayweather Promotions and Top Rank. The broadcaster, which acquired rights for the fight in Las Vegas on May 2 in a separate sublicensing deal with pay-television broadcaster Solar Sports in the Philippines, will distribute rights in the region across all platforms.
As part of the deal, pay-per-view coverage of the fight will be shown in the Middle East through the OSN, eLifeTV and Du pay-television channels. ABS-CBN has also agreed a deal to make the fight available across cinemas in the Gulf region following a tie-up with Novo Cinemas.
Moreover, coverage of the fight will be available via The Filipino Channel (TFC), a division of ABS-CBN, and its TFC.tv online platform.
“At a time when we are witnessing one of the busiest pay-per-view calendars in boxing in a long time, to be chosen and trusted as the exclusive distributor of not just any marquee PPV boxing event but the ‘Fight of the Century’ is a milestone that we are truly proud of,” Kai Rodriguez, ABS-CBN’s managing director for Europe, Middle East and Africa operations, said.