• Loading stock data...
Saturday, June 7, 2025

The Potential of a Pay-Per-View Super Bowl

  • The Super Bowl is the most-watched TV program of the year, averaging over 100 million viewers.
  • John Skipper recently said that he could see the NFL’s title game as a pay-per-view event.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports/Design: Alex Brooks

Could the Super Bowl be a pay-per-view event one day? Former ESPN president and CEO of Meadowlark Media John Skipper told Dan Le Batard that it could happen.

“Super Bowl — take that to pay-per-view,” Skipper said. “That’s how they’re going to replace the money someday.”

The Super Bowl is the most-watched TV program of the year, averaging over 100 million viewers for CBS, NBC, or Fox.

“The numbers would be astronomical,” says pay-per-view expert Joe Hand Jr., president of Joe Hand Productions. The NFL declined to comment.

Hand believes a pay-per-view Super Bowl would easily shatter the record for highest-grossing PPV of all time. Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao currently holds that distinction, generating 4.6 million buys and $600 million in revenue in 2015.

  • The NFL could charge up to $200 per home, Hand estimated. 
  • In comparison, the price for Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor in 2017 was $99.95 for high definition, $89.95 for standard — the same pricing setup as Mayweather vs. Pacquiao two years prior.

The NFL’s “Sunday Ticket” package is the most popular PPV program for bars and restaurants. Approximately 20,000 businesses purchase Sunday Ticket each season — around 5,000 pony up for big boxing and UFC fights. 

The chances of a PPV Super Bowl are still slight. The NFL appears committed to showing its games on network TV. 

Then again, nobody thought the NFL would embrace sports betting, either.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Jan 24, 2017; Davidson, NC, USA; The Davidson Wildcats student section cheers during the first half against the Duquesne Dukes at McKillop Court at John M. Belk Arena. Davidson defeated Duquesne 74-60.

Every College Wants a Flashy Basketball GM Hire Right Now

The role is more important than ever, and the definition is ever-evolving.

Rodgers Signing Defies Steelers Reputation but Further Boosts Team’s Profile

The NFL team long known for avoiding drama signed a mercurial quarterback.
August 31, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; The Goodyear blimp flies over Ohio Stadium during the first half of Saturday’s NCAA Division I football game between the Akron Zips and the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Why the Goodyear Blimp Is at Every Major Sports Event

The airship wasn’t built to cover sports. Now it’s a regular presence.

Featured Today

May 27, 2015; Paris, France; Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) knocks the clay off her shoe during her match against Simona Halep (ROU) on day four of the French Open at Roland Garros

Roland-Garros’s Iconic Red-Clay Surface Is a Precise Alchemy

The exact science behind maintaining the French Open’s red clay.
Alex Jensen introductory press conference on Monday, March 17, 2025.
June 3, 2025

Alex Jensen Started Utah Utes HC Job While Still Coaching the Mavs

How Jensen began building an NCAA program while patrolling the Dallas sideline.
May 31, 2025

PSG and the City of Paris Can Join European Soccer’s Elite

What a maiden Champions League title would mean for the French club.
May 30, 2025

How the Champions League Anthem Took on a Life of Its Own

The composer didn’t know he wrote a timeless hit three decades ago.
Ohio State Buckeyes celebrate their 34-23 win over Notre Dame Fighting Irish to win the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025.

ESPN Expected to Sublicense College Football Playoff Semifinal to TNT Sports

The agreement would add onto the current sublicense between ESPN and TNT.
hanson_smiling
May 30, 2025

Scott Hanson Agrees to Long-Term Deal for NFL RedZone

His contract expired after the 2024 season.
June 4, 2025

As TNT Sports Shifts, WBD Investors Reject $52M Zaslav Pay

Company shareholders reject the executive’s pay in a non-binding vote.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

In Episode 7 of Portfolio Players, go inside the boardroom with Avenue Capital CEO and former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry on Giannis’s future, women’s sports, and upstart leagues like TGL and Unrivaled. 
May 30, 2025

French Open Scheduling Sparks Backlash Over Women’s Time Slots

Coco Gauff has also said the French Open schedule could be improved.
May 30, 2025

Panthers-Oilers Rematch Could Be Big in Canada. Will U.S. Ratings Dip?

Likely viewership declines in the U.S. are countered by robust Canadian audiences.
May 28, 2025

NBA East Finals Delivers Strong TV Ratings, but West Is Struggling

The Pacers and Thunder are both up 3–1 in their conference finals series.
Around the Horn
May 23, 2025

Behind the Scenes of Around the Horn’s Final Days

FOS followed Tony Reali at the penultimate taping of the ESPN icon.