US Fans Delighted With Joshua Vs. Dubois PPV Price
US fight fans have reacted positively to the $19.95 PPV price for Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois.
The IBF Heavyweight Title fight takes place on September 21 live from Wembley. The fight is expected to set a new attendance record of over 94,000, which is the current record held when Tyson Fury faced Dillian Whyte. Joshua is aiming to become a three-time heavyweight champion. Meanwhile, Dubois became the full champion once Oleksandr Usyk vacated. A win for either fighter puts them in a position to box the winner of Fury-Usyk.
They fight on December 21, setting up the potential for a big, undisputed fight again. The news has gone down well with fans, given the recent PPV prices. Fury-Usyk cost $69.99, although that could be justified since it was the first Undisputed Heavyweight Title fight since Lennox Lewis beat Evander Holyfield in 1999. However, Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga has been priced at $89.99.
PPV Price
That is expected to be a one-sided affair for Canelo, rustling in criticism as fans did not get the David Benavidez fight. The Gervonta Davis vs. Frank Martin card also cost fans $84.99. Those prices look problematic now that Joshua-Dubois has been made affordable. Turki Alalshikh’s wider strategy is to make PPV at $20 globally.
“I dream of a PPV with a good price to make the fans happy and subscribe and get them to watch it legally. Usually when I see a high PPV, a lot of people go and watch the fight illegally and this is not healthy for boxing and the platform. What I will try to push is to have our Riyadh Season shows at less than £20 in England and less than $20 around the world.
“I would prefer to have one million fans subscribe and buy the PPV for £20 than less than 500,000 [for £40]. The people go around it illegally because the price is high. In the future, this will not build boxing. If I give the fans good fights at a good price then I will increase the fanbase,” Turki Alalshkih
PBC’s Future
This will have implications moving forward. PBC is currently the one with the weakest relationship with the Saudis. The Saudis work closely with Matchroom Boxing and Queensbury Promotions. Meanwhile, they also have deals with Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions to do shows in the US. While PBC has worked with the Saudis, their aim has always been to make fights in-house. But if PPV prices have to be slashed radically, they will not be able to compete.
Golden, Matchroom, and Queensbury have greater stability and market shares overseas. Reports indicate that the Saudis want to create a boxing league. There is speculation they want to purchase a stake in Matchroom and Golden Boy in a deal worth $4-5 billion. That would massively reduce PBC’s influence, making it tougher for them to compete. But if fans get value for money, it could be something that may have to happen.
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