In an effort to prevent fans from illegally watching the fight for free online, Showtime filed a lawsuit that would prohibit certain websites from streaming Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor on Aug. 26, TMZ Sports reported Tuesday.
The standard-definition feed of the pay-per-view will cost $89.95, while the high-definition feed will set fans back $99.95.
Promoters used a similar tactic ahead of Mayweather’s fight with Manny Pacquiao in May 2015. While the judge granted the injunction, the Hollywood Reporter‘s Ryan Gajewski reported some fans began streaming the official feed on Periscope and Meerkat.
Gajewski speculated problems with the pay-per-view feed prior to the start of the bout may have meant more fans illegally streaming the event as well.
Still, Showtime’s move isn’t a big surprise. ESPN.com’s Darren Rovell estimated in June that Mayweather vs. McGregor could potentially earn $475 million in pay-per-view sales.
With so much money on the line, Showtime has little choice but to do what it can to limit fans’ available options to watch the fight outside of the official PPV feed.
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