HBO, Showtime sue to block Pacquiao-Mayweather fight webcasts
Floyd Mayweather Jr. speaks during an arrival ceremony Tuesday, April 28, 2015, in Las Vegas. Credit: AP
Home Box Office Inc. and Showtime Networks Inc. asked a judge to knock out the unauthorized live streaming of the May 2 fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao, the most lucrative boxing match in history.
Revenue from the Las Vegas bout, generated largely from pay-per-view purchases and ticket sales, could exceed $300 million, according to Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum.
The cable networks, in a complaint filed Tuesday in Los Angeles federal court, said they became aware last week that the website boxinghd.net was advertising live Internet coverage of the fight, promising “nothing but the freshest and the most reliable high quality live links.”
Another site, sportship.org, is also accused of promoting live streaming of the welterweight title-unification battle.
Joined by Mayweather Promotions LLC and Arum’s Top Rank Inc., CBS Corp.’s Showtime and Time Warner Inc.’s HBO are asking for an immediate court order preventing the sites from streaming the fight, claiming any delay will irreparably harm them.
“It is the very nature of live sporting events that they only occur live one time,” the networks and fight promoters said in court papers.
The case is Showtime Networks Inc. v. John Doe d/b/a boxinghd.net, 15-cv-03147, U.S. District Court, Central District of California (Los Angeles).
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Sarra Sounds Off, Ep. 17: Olympics a possibility for Long Beach wrestler? On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," Newsday's Gregg Sarra talks with Long Beach wrestler Dunia Sibomana-Rodriguez about pursuing a third state title and possibly competing in the Olympics in 2028, plus Jared Valluzzi has the plays of the week.
