Mayweather-Pacquiao fight footage to be sent to space

Floyd Mayweather Jr., right, dodges a punch from Manny Pacquiao in their welterweight unification boxing match at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 2, 2015. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Follow Chase Stevens on Twitter at @csstevensphoto

LOS ANGELES — Boxing fans who described Saturday’s match between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao as “out of this world” were really onto something: The fight will screen for U.S. astronauts on the International Space Station.

Despite probably already knowing the fight’s outcome, the crew aboard the ISS requested that the footage be sent to them. The agreement between Showtime Sports, HBO Sports and NASA marks the first time a pay-per-view world championship fight will be viewed in space.

Thanks to a chance encounter, Saturday’s match was broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and was co-produced and co-distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View and Showtime PPV, with many catching the action via Periscope.

Viewership and revenue statistics are expected to roll out later this week. Ahead of the big night, advertisers were hopeful that they would reach a “loyal, urban” audience through the match.