You should have deep pockets as a boxing fan. Two Canelo Alvarez fights on pay-per-view in 2024 would have cost you somewhere around $180. Then how could a boxing fan have missed Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury, which had a price tag of $70? Then there was Gervonta Davis‘ much-awaited comeback to the squared circle, which demanded $75 for his show. And we haven’t listed this year’s other popular fights, including Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia. The prices are steep, and it puts a dent in your bank account if you are a passionate fan. But a wind of change is blowing and will take its full swing with Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol.

Originally expected to be priced higher due to the scale of the event, the PPV is now set at $15 in the U.S. (for the undercard) and around £19.99 in the UK on platforms like DAZN and Sky Sports. His Excellency Turki Alalshikh wants to revolutionize the boxing landscape, and the latest of his ploys includes slashing the PPV prices. He did it first with Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois, and Beterbiev vs. Bivol has followed suit. While the intentions are noble and deserve applause, they raise suspicions too. Is it a move doomed to fail? Is it sustainable enough?

Revenue sharing: Will Beterbiev vs. Bivol succumb to change?

How do promoters and fighters earn? The simple model says a PPV revenue share. The larger the pie of PPV numbers, the larger the share for all. But what about other revenue sources? The Sweet Science has failed to diversify its revenue base, with sponsorships never expanding and penetrating deep into the sports. But you should have a look at the other combat sports. UFC’s Octagon is stamped with promotional stickers and fighters pick up a Monster drink after the fight is over.

Something similar of sorts is missing in boxing, where the PPV system, apart from the ticket sales, dictates how much one is earning. But when you strip down this system, with the hopes of expanding the viewer base and bringing in new fans, you need to change the revenue system too. But that is not happening rapidly. The direct effect of slashed PPV prices will be on the fighters’ bank accounts. While HE Turki Alalshikh can guarantee a significant bump instead of a PPV share, other promoters can’t follow in his footsteps. And what if an event fails to generate numbers?

If this dichotomy of Riyadh Season’s cheaper PPVs and other promoters’ high-priced PPVs continues for some time, then the promoters run the risk of going bankrupt and fighters not getting the desired payout. If someone offers a good deal for a discount, you would rather spend it there rather than save it for months and then cash it. What’s more? The Saudi adviser could put Terence Crawford on top of a stacked card, bring in Eminem to perform, and yet sustain $10 million in losses. Can other promoters afford that? But it’s not all about promoters and boxers, is it?

Boxing fans, the feeling of getting cheated and circumvention

The boxing world had been trying to fix its PPV structure for a while. The PPV fights were too frequent, and too expensive, with thinner cards and less attractive matchups. What was the result? Fans never got to see the fights they wanted and the dwindling popularity and viewership of boxing. Either you had to shatter the silos of different promotions, bring them together, and stage grand cards, or you could make it a subscription-like, less expensive affair, where commercial advertising, sponsorships, and signage replace the dependence on PPV revenue. The latter is a model successfully implemented by WWE and UFC. HE Turki Alalshikh did both.

Then there was the growing menace of illegal streaming, which reached alarming heights with the Usyk vs. Fury fight, resulting in a revenue loss of over $100 million. The intention was to formally bring some of those viewers into PPV streaming’s fold. The jury is still out there about how successful the current PPV price cut will be, as we wait for the numbers for Joshua vs. Dubois and then later Beterbiev vs. Bivol. But there is yet some work to be done as if the mismatch between PPV prices and other revenue sources continues, it will only result in losses and an unsustainable structure.

What do you make of Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol’s PPV prices? Do you think it’s a good move for the change? Let us know in the comments below.