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JOHANNESBURG. — The Fight of the Century between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao on May 2 will be broadcast live across Sub-Saharan Africa only on DStv’s SuperSport.
The entire tournament will 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.
In the UK, Sky will charge customers up to £24.95, a record amount, to watch only the bout.
In the US, to watch the fight alone is expected to cost viewers between $90 and $100 on pay-per-view.
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.
“We are blessed if we have a true super-fight once every 20 years . . . this one measures up in every way,” said Motheo Matsau, Head of Marketing at SuperSport.
“As the home of boxing on the continent, we are thrilled to deliver such great content,” added Matsau.
“Given the numbers swirling around and the lively talk in public, this event is shaping to be one of the major sporting occasions of the year.”
Brandon Foot, Acting Chief Executive of SuperSport, explained that 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 more than 44 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa, on all platforms.
The rights include live streaming, which is available to Premium subscribers on the SuperSport app. With the fight exactly one month away, SuperSport will transmit plenty of supplementary programming in the weeks to come, including one-on-ones with Mayweather and Pacquiao, plus past fight highlights involving the pair. This content will air on SuperSport 6.
Since 2001, SuperSport has broadcast 21 Mayweather and 19 Pacquiao fights.
The super-fight will be broadcast on SS6, SS6 HD and SS Maximo to enable all DStv Premium viewers to watch the action in High Definition.
The build-up to the live event will begin at 9pm (CAT) and include extensive behind-the-scenes coverage and highlights.
The tournament, culminating in The Fight of the Century, will air from the early hours of Sunday, May 3. — SuperSport.
Online Reporter