Pacman fight a cash cow in Visayas

Tomorrow’s much ballyhooed fight between boxers past their prime, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., is drawing money signs in the thought balloons of business owners in the Visayas, all hoping to make a killing by charging fees for showings of the boxing match live.

Hotels, restaurants and cinemas are trying to secure their slices of the pie.

In the cities of Cebu, Iloilo and Tacloban, establishments are charging P400 to P4,000 for viewing the live broadcast of the fight.

Tickets in movie houses that would show the fight live are costing P400 to P1,300 per ticket.

Restaurants and hotels are expected to charge a minimum of P400 per person.

In Tacloban, the Robinsons Place movie house is charging P800 per ticket to watch the fight.

But ticket sale is not brisk, according to Cattleya Cordano, movie house manager.

She said if ticket sale improves, “We might open another cinema” for the fight. Robinsons Place has five movie houses.

In Cebu City, ticket prices are steep.

Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino, one of the most expensive hotels in Cebu City, is charging P995 per person, although it comes with a buffet available from 10 a.m. to noon.

It would cost P4,000 per room per night for guests who can watch the fight live in their rooms at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Cebu City.

Greg Chua, Radisson Blu staffer, said the rate is double that of Pacquiao’s last fight because the hotel’s source of cable TV, SkyCable, had also increased its pay-per-view rate for tomorrow’s fight.

SkyCable is charging P2,500 for each household that would subscribe to pay-per-view, more than double the P995 it charged in the last Pacquiao fight. The cable company has a higher rate for commercial pay-per-view subscribers, like hotels.

Other hotels charge P400 to P750 per person. Some include meals in the package while others, just drinks.

All movie houses in Cebu City and Consolacion town are offering live showing of the fight. Tickets cost P1,300 for cinemas with Imax, or high technology sound equipment, and P800 for regular cinemas at SM City.

Tickets at SM Consolacion cost P700 each.

Some hotels are trying to entice guests to their buffets by offering screenings of the fight. Reservations, though, are accepted only after payment.

At SM City in Mandurriao District in Iloilo City, all eight cinemas with a total of 4,900 seats will show the match at P700 per ticket.

Hotels and restaurants in Boracay Island are also offering buffet packages that come with screenings of the match. Carla P. Gomez, Joey A. Gabieta, Jhunnex Napallacan and Nestor P. Burgos Jr., Inquirer Visayas