The UK pay-per-view price for Anthony Joshua’s fight against Dillian Whyte has come under fire.
The two Brits face off on August 12th, 2023, in a fight where there is no title on the line. The first fight was all the way back in 2015 when Joshua stopped Whyte in a seventh-round knockout.
Although Whyte does hold a win over ‘AJ’ in the amateurs, their achievements could not be any different.
Joshua is the former unified heavyweight champion, while Whyte has yet to win a world title. Although both fighters are looking to rebuild themselves, the £26.99/$35 price has been scrutinized.
This is an increase on Whyte’s fight with Tyson Fury last year that was priced at £24.95/$32.
That has not gone down well with the boxing community, especially since DAZN was marketed as an alternative to pay-per-view.
Social Media Reaction
Should never be ppv
— Bridgend Mobility (@bmc723272) July 7, 2023
I’d rather watch paint dry than that 😳
— kris robertson 🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀 (@robbo3784) July 7, 2023
Can’t believe it’s actually PPV in the first place!
— Mr R (@UnHappyHammer68) July 7, 2023
Despite this being the case, Eddie Hearn defended the price point. The promoter made comparisons with other pay-per-views, as well as talking up the fight given that the winner would most likely face Deontay Wilder.
“All broadcasters have a different pay-per-view price. There will be a fantastic undercard that will be announced at the press conference on Monday.
“I think the last pay-per-view, I think it was Oleksandr Usyk, I think it was £29.99. Something like that? It is always around £24, £26, pay-per-view is pay-per-view. We have been there a million times.
“This fight is pay-per-view on any platform. The fact that it is on DAZN, it will be available on Sky as well and obviously, talkSPORT will be carrying it. It is a massive fight. It will have a massive undercard,” Hearn