HE Turki Alalshikh is ready to make another exciting card, but this time with Oscar De La Hoya, where the card will have an imprint of Latino boxers. Apart from the usual extravagant event and the stacked card, another highlight of the event will be its cost. It will be free to stream. It’s another step in curbing towards a bigger evil that plagues boxing.

Interestingly, the Saudi Adviser has recently also vowed to slash the prices for the upcoming high-octane events. He is organizing the Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois card (which according to sources will now be available for streaming at £19.95 in the UK, drastically lower than previous events) in Wembley on September 21, and the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol bill on October 12. It was done to increase the boxing fanbase and attract more eyeballs to the event. However, the main target was illegal streaming because of the high PPV prices. Alalshikh, 43, is also planning the same with the Latino Night. He turned to his X handle and debriefed the fans about the conversation with De La Hoya.

Disclosing the decision to keep the event free to stream, he also specified that the reason was upholding fans’ interest. The GEA chairman wrote, “I just hanged up the phone with my friend Oscar De La Hoya … We had a long talk therefore i decided the card of Latinos Night in Riyadh Season with our partner Golden Boy will be free on TV networks and platforms all around the world … any TV network or platform and cable TV interested in this event kindly connect with us in Riyadh Season and Sela specialy in Mexico and south America … we care about boxing fans for that this card free 🥊❤️.”

The battle against illegal streaming started in HE Turki Alalshikh’s mind when he racked up losses in the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury card, despite selling 1.5 million PPVs. The main tool has been keeping the prices low. But how did that come to be?

HE Turki Alalshikh combating the menace of illegal streaming

In a conversation with TalkSport, he disclosed he wanted to keep the fans happy with low PPV prices and stick to legal means to watch it. He declared, “I dream of a pay-per-view 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.”

HE Turki Alalshikh is relying on expanding the fanbase to watch the fight in large numbers to cover the cost and bring new fans to the sport too. The real test will start with the Joshua vs. Dubois card, and the fans and promoters will have a glimpse of whether it is a sustainable practice or not.

What do you make of this decision by HE Turki Alalshikh? Do you believe it is a smart call by him? Let us know in the comments below.