Grainy video, errors and buffering streams weren’t what fans paid $99 to see, according to the class-action lawsuit.
It appears the restraining order Showtime obtained earlier this month from a federal court against websites that had advertised they would make the pay-per-view Mayweather-McGregor bout available for free was effective. Legitimate video distributors charged $100 to buy the event in HD. But the far more widespread theft of Saturday night’s boxing match took place through the use of a software program and “add-on” apps that consumers worldwide are now using steal programming, channelsFlo and content of all kinds.
The main exhibition did not begin until after midnight on the east coast, and Floyd Mayweather said afterwards the combatants deliberately waited in their dressing rooms because of the widespread problems fans were having ordering the pay per-view program.
Boxers Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquio are each known to pack a hard punch, but their fists have managed to break something else. Initial reports from distributors indicate that the event generated more than 4.4 million U.S. buys and more than $400 million in domestic pay-per-view revenue alone. The event is expected to generate in excess of $500 million in gross worldwide receipts, when additional revenue from the live gate at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, international television distribution, sponsorships, closed circuit and merchandise sales are tallied.
