UFC boss Dana White, Turki Alalshikh offer differing views on battling combat sports piracy
LAS VEGAS – Dana White and business partner Turki Alalshikh appear to have a difference of opinion when it comes to combating illegal streaming of pay-per-view events.
Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, argued that decreasing boxing pay-per-view prices will help increase the fanbase and discourage people from pirating events.
Alalshikh said he intends on making the undisputed light heavyweight title bout between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol on Oct. 12 at “£15 for the U.K. and $15 around the world.” Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois is currently priced at 19.95 pounds for U.K. fans.
“What I dream is the pay-per-view with a good price,” Alalshikh told talkSPORT. “To make the fans happy and to subscribe and watch it legally. Usually when I see the pay-per-view (price) high, a lot of numbers watch the fight illegally, and this is not healthy for boxing and the platform. What I will try to push (for) the Riyadh Season card is to have our show less than 20 pounds in England and less than $20 around the world.”
When asked about Alalshikh’s suggestion, White didn’t directly comment and instead boasted about the UFC’s ability to identify illegal streamers and go after them.
“Trust me: We know exactly how to combat piracy,” White told MMA Junkie and other reporters at the Dana White’s Contender Series 70 post-fight news conference on Tuesday. “I won’t tell you extensively what we do every event, but we go after piracy hard. You saw a few years ago that we started prosecuting people. That’s how you combat piracy: Start f*cking prosecuting people for stealing. There you go.”
White and the UFC made their debut in Saudi Arabia this past June with a UFC Fight Night that aired on ABC and streamed on ESPN+ in the U.S.