pay-per-view

American  

[pey-pur-vyoo, -per-] / ˈpeɪˌpɜrˈvyu, -pər- /

noun

1. a system requiring that a subscriber pay for each program viewed.

   championship games seen only on pay-per-view.

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adjective

1. noting or pertaining to such a system. ppv

pay-per-view British  

noun

1. See free-to-air pay television

   1. a system of television broadcasting by which subscribers pay for each programme they wish to receive

   2. ( as modifier )

      a pay-per-view channel

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Etymology

Origin of pay-per-view

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Mayweather beat fellow welterweight Pacquiao in their money-spinning 2015 "Fight of the Century," which generated a record 4.6 million pay-per-view buys but largely failed to live up to the hype.

From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026

That fight generated 4.6 million pay-per-view buys and a live gate of $72 million, both of which are records.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026

The goal is to make the UFC bigger than ever by dropping the high-barrier-to-entry pay-per-view business model.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

It will be a professional contest between one of Britain's most decorated heavyweights and a former Disney Channel actor who has reinvented himself as a pay-per-view attraction.

From BBC • Nov. 21, 2025

Netflix subscriptions start at $7.99, a massively reduced figure from typical boxing pay-per-view fees.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 13, 2025