Drastic solution to end boxing scam after $150m lost

Boxing fans have long bemoaned the farcical aspects of the sport that have brought it down for years.
Too many champions, too many sanctioning bodies, big-name fighters cherry-picking opponents and the astronomical prices of PPV fights are among the issues supporters of the sport have had to endure.
But Saudi official Turki Alalshikh, the man viewed as the biggest fixer in the sport at the moment, wants to overhaul boxing’s pay-per-view structure and lower prices in a bid to combat illegal streaming and build the sport’s supporter base.
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The recent undisputed heavyweight championship between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk lost more than $150 million to illegal streaming as cash-strapped fans looked for alternatives.
But Alalshikh plans to combat the rise in dodgy streaming by working with broadcasters to lower their prices for fights under his Ryiadh Season banners.
Anthony Joshua talks with His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority after todays Press Conference at Outernet London on January 15, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing via Getty Images) Matchroom Boxing via Getty Image
A spike in prices for PPV events has fed the illegal streaming bubble and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to end soon under the current system. It was revealed last week that the upcoming Canelo Alvarez-Edgar Berlanga would be $AUD132 ($US90), which led to an outcry from fans about it being too expensive.
That bout is promoted by Canelo Promotions and TGB Promotions, in association with Matchroom Boxing.
Generally fights in the UK on PPV go for about $48 (£24.95), while American fans regularly pay between $103 ($US69.99) and $132 ($US89.99).
Aussie fight fans generally pay around $59.95 for local PPV fights and depending on the event, slightly less for overseas fights.
But Alalshikh plans to combat the rise in dodgy streaming by working with broadcasters to lower their prices on his events to less than £20 ($38) in the UK and $20 ($29.99) in the USA.
Oleksandr Usyk punches Tyson Fury during the IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO and Undisputed Heavyweight titles’ fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk at Kingdom Arena on May 18, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images) Getty
“I dream of a PPV with a good price to make the fans happy and subscribe and get them to watch it legally,” he told TalkSport.
“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.”
The move by Alalshikh will begin with next month’s clash between light heavyweight champions Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol on October 12.
The event will sell for $29 (£15) in the UK. In the U.S., that fight is already being shown to subscribers for free on ESPN+.
Turki Alalshikh. Getty
While the Saudi promoter will lower prices for fans who watch Riyadh Season events, it likely won’t change the cost for other boxing events put on by the major promoters in the US.
According to analysis conducted by online intelligence company Yield Sec, at least 20 million fight fans around the world watched Oleksandr Usyk unify the world heavyweight boxing titles in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – reportedly for free.
The data accumulated how many illegal streams, not how many people actually watching each stream.
Alalshik also vowed to fix the sport’s bloated champions list by suggesting he could start a new boxing league.
“We have a plan for the future to have something like a league,” he said.
“We don’t discuss about the belts until now. But in my opinion around 68 world champions is a crazy number.”