Pacquiao vs Mayweather: Fight of the century free on DStv’s SuperSport

SUBSCRIBERS to DSTV will not pay any extra fee to watch May 2’s boxing bout between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquaio, officials of the satellite broadcasting outfit have revealed.

Tagged ‘The Fight of the Century,’ the bout will be broadcast live across sub-Saharan Africa only on DStv’s SuperSport at no extra cost.

In the United Kingdom, Sky will charge subscribers up to £24.95 (N7, 363), a record amount, to watch only the bout, while subscribers in the United States will pay up to $100 (N19, 000) for a one-time live viewing of the bout on a pay-per-view basis.

Speaking on the fight, the General Manager, SuperSport West Africa, Felix Awogu, explained that the entire event would be broadcast to DStv Premium bouquet subscribers in High Definition from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“Unlike other international broadcasters, who are charging a premium for the super fight, the event is included in SuperSport’s Premium offering among its other blue ribbon content with no surcharge,” he remarked.

The bout is a match-up between two of the greatest boxers of all time – Mayweather, the undefeated 11-time world champion and holder of the WBC and WBA titles, and Pacquiao, the reigning WBO welterweight champion and winner of 10 world titles.

Awogu further said, “We are blessed if we have a true super-fight once every 20 years. This one measures up in every way and as the home of boxing on the continent, we are thrilled to deliver such great content.

“Given the numbers swirling around and the lively talk in public, this event is shaping up to be one of the major sporting occasions of the year,” he remarked.

Awogu said negotiations were protracted primarily because of the unique manner of acquiring the broadcast rights. Potential broadcasters had to submit a bid in response to a formal request for proposal to Mayweather Promotions and Bob Arum’s Top Rank.

Ultimately, SuperSport’s proposal was successful and the rights include broadcast to more than 44 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa on all platforms.

The buildup to the live event will begin at 8pm and include extensive behind-the-scenes coverage and highlights, while the tournament, culminating in The Fight of the Century, will air from the early hours of Sunday, May 3.