US cable television broadcasters HBO and Showtime have confirmed a record pay-per-view price for the highly anticipated boxing bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.
HBO and Showtime said the suggested retail price for the May 2 pay-per-view will be $89.95 (€85), although many customers will end up paying $99.95 due to a surcharge for high definition added at the discretion of cable and satellite providers.
The previous highest pay-per-view price was the $64.95/$74.95 charged for the 2013 fight between Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez. The Mayweather-Pacquiao pricing is set to be the latest new landmark in what is expected to be a record-breaking event.
Showtime and HBO will jointly produce and distribute the bout and it is expected to break the PPV buy record of 2.48 million generated by Mayweather’s 2007 light-middleweight championship fight against Oscar De La Hoya and the all-time PPV revenue record of $152m, also set by Mayweather in his 2013 light-middleweight championship fight against Alvarez.
Mayweather and Pacquiao will come together to unify the WBC, WBA and WBO welterweight world titles at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 2.