Ben Shalom, Founder and CEO of BOXXER, has revealed the price point for fans looking to tune in to Chris Eubank Jr facing Liam Smith in the new year.
The fight was a welcome announcement given Eubank’s last fight fell through, and represents a strong challenge for both men, who have made it clear that they want to go on to be in the mix for world titles.
The middleweight contest takes place at Manchester’s AO Arena on January 21 in 2023, but UK fans not willing to make the trip will be tuning in via Sky Sports Box Office. In an interview with IFL TV, Shalom revealed that it would follow the current standard Sky pricing.
“It will be £19.95, and it will be a monster undercard. We’ve got a very, very big chief support planned which I think fans will be happy with.
I don’t like paying for pay-per-views when it’s not [worthy of] pay-per-view, but this fight… It’s a 50/50 fight, it’s two of the biggest names in British boxing. There’s no other way that you can get this fight done unless it’s on pay-per-view.”
£19.95 as a PPV price is the same that Sky Sports charged for BOXXER’s other box office event, Amir Khan versus Kell Brook.
The question of pricing has been ever present in the sport, especially over the last ten years, however it’s perhaps more pertinent just now given fan reaction to the announcement of the price to watch Tyson Fury versus Derek Chisora.
The BT Sport Box Office event, set for December 3, will be at a price point of £26.95 – £2 more than Fury’s last fight against Dillian Whyte in April.
The backlash for Fury’s title defence has been born from a handful of gripes, most notably the current cost of living crisis, the time of year, and what many fans see as poor matchmaking and a less-than-competitive main event.
With more big fights planned for 2023, it’s not only an exciting time to be a fan of the sport, but an expensive one.