Fansided

Mayweather v. Pacquiao to air for free in Mexico

By Alexandra Huber

Mar 11, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Manny Pacquiao poses for photographers during a press conference to announce their fight on May 2, 2015 at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 11, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Manny Pacquiao poses for photographers during a press conference to announce their fight on May 2, 2015 at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports /
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Saturday’s fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will air for free in Mexico.

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The long-anticipated matchup between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will air for free in Mexico, according to TMZ Sports.

The World Boxing Council confirmed that two major Mexican television networks, Televisa and Azteca, have agreed to air the fight free of charge.

“Televisa and Azteca must be recognized for their great commitment, for bringing to Mexico this bout for free,” the WBC told TMZ. “This has never, ever happened in any country of the world.”

To watch the fight in the U.S., viewers will have to pay between $90 and $100, depending on which feed they select.

What makes this decision interesting, and more impressive, is the fact that neither Mayweather nor Pacquiao are Mexican. Mayweather is American while Pacquiao is Filipino.

Mexico is clearly all in on this fight, though. Mexico is a major sponsor of the event and Tecate is it’s official beer.

While this is an incredibly kind gesture on the part of Televisa and Azteca,  it would be interesting to see how much money they are foregoing by making this decision.

The counterpoint of that, obviously, is how much positive press the two networks will receive, not to mention good will from the Mexican people. Think HBO and Showtime are a little jealous they did not think of it first?

Tickets for the fight, which sold out in less than a minute, started at $1,500 a seat and went up to as high as $7,500. MGM Grand Garden Arena, in Las Vegas, is hosting the fight.

If you live in the U.S. and are close enough to the border, it might make financial sense to drive into Mexico and watch the showdown there. Assuming that the price of gas roundtrip is less than $90, you’d be coming out ahead. Just don’t forget your passport.

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