While surfing the Internet, I stumbled across a website that claims fans will be able to view Manny Pacquiao’s next fight on their mobile device, iPad, or computers. OnlineBroadcast.com features a picture of Manny Paquiao and a banner that reads, “Be one of the first to take advantage of this exclusive opportunity. Watch Manny Pacquiao’s next mega fight night even Live via your mobile device, IPad, desktop, and laptop in the comfort of your home, office, or on the go.” Diving deeper into the site, I discovered an option to sign up as a member, so I registered in hopes of discovering more information.
The site boasts that it will be offering live video streaming of Pacquiao’s fights this year to countries that are unable to order it through traditional pay-per-view outlets, such as Direct TV and DISH Network. After signing up for a free membership, I received an email explaining that for a price of $1.95, $4.95, or $9.95, depending on the region, I would be able to order Pacquiao’s next fight, tentatively scheduled for June 9, and watch it on any device that has Internet access. Obviously, the offer sounded too good to be true, so I had to dig deeper.
Going out on a limb, I replied to the email that I received after registering and surprisingly got a response. Although there was no name or identity attached to the reply, I was informed that the website was owned by a company called Universal Entertainment Group DBA and it’s backed by a group of people from the Middle East, United Arab Emirates, China, India, and Russia. Apparently, the company has formed an agreement with Pacquiao that awards them the foreign distribution rights of his fights to countries outside of HBO’s jurisdiction. As such, anyone living in those countries will be able to order Pacquiao’s fights in 2012 at a fraction of the normal pay-per-view cost. Although I’ve never seen how Pacquiao’s co-promotional agreement is structured, it’s my understanding that his rights to foreign distribution are on a fight by fight basis with Top Rank, which seemingly would allow him to negotiate a deal with anyone else at any time.
It’s unclear as to exactly how much this deal might be worth for Pacquiao, but considering that he’s become a global icon and there are several countries outside of the normal HBO Pay-Per-View distribution scope, I’d have to imagine that he’d stand to earn a substantial amount of money. One has to wonder if promoter Bob Arum is aware of this and just how pleased he might be about it. Since receiving that email, I’ve tried to reach out again, but have yet to hear back from anyone. I’m hoping to hear back from a representative for more details. Check back soon for more info.
