Pay-Per-View (PPV) Meaning & History

PPV Meaning

Pay-per-view (PPV)means actually what it sounds like! It' s a type of pay television or web services by which a viewer can purchase events to view via private telecast.

When you buy a PPV package, you have the access to watch shows and pay for each individual show that you watch on that specific PPV channel. Specifically, you only pay when you purchase a specific show.

Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program guide, an automated telephone system, or through a live customer service representative. There has been an increasing number of pay-per-views distributed via streaming video online, either alongside or in lieu of carriage through television providers.

For instance, in 2012, the online video-sharing platform YouTube enabled partners to host live PPV events on their channels.

Events distributed commonly through PPV include combat sports events such as boxing, UFC and mixed martial arts, sports entertainment such as professional wrestling, and concerts.

In the past, PPV was often used to distribute telecasts of feature films, as well as adult content such as adult entertainment films.

However, the growth today of cable television and streaming media had as an impact to reduce this media marketing and increase video on demand systems (which allow viewers to purchase and view pre-recorded content at any time) instead, leaving PPV to focus primarily on live event programs.

A Brief Overview In History

The earliest form of pay-per-view was closed-circuit television, also known as theatre television, where professional boxing telecasts were broadcast live to a select number of venues, mostly theaters, where viewers paid for tickets to watch the fight live.

The first fight with a closed-circuit telecast was Joe Louis vs. Jersey Joe Walcott in 1948.

Closed-circuit telecasts peaked in popularity with Muhammad Ali in the 1960s and 1970s, with "The Rumble in the Jungle" fight drawing 50 million buys worldwide in 1974, and the "Thrilla in Manila" drawing 100 million buys worldwide in 1975.

Closed-circuit television was gradually replaced by pay-per-view home television in the 1980s and 1990s.