Buy early! Mayweather vs. McGregor PPV start time set for 9 p.m. ET tonight

Unless you’re some weirdo planning on locking yourself in a basement later tonight, you’re probably going to be watching Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor. As an unthinkable superfight capable of producing instant fireworks, Mayweather’s boxing tilt with McGregor live on Showtime pay-per-view (PPV) from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, is can’t miss.

While the PPV price tag may result in less beer in the fridge, Mayweather vs. McGregor will be more than worth it, especially when a monstrous knockout is the desired outcome of the fight.

But, beware. Ordering the PPV, which is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. ET, may not be as easy as you think. Showtime executive Stephen Espinoza, who was a verbal punching bag for McGregor throughout the fascinating world press tour, issued a warning to prospective PPV buyers looking to purchase the historic event last second.

“There is no event bigger than this one,” Espinoza said during Wednesday’s final press conference (video replay here). “The two biggest stars in combat sports, the two biggest personalities in sports, two once-in-a-generation talents, in one once-in-a-lifetime event. This will be the most widely distributed PPV in history.”

“As Leonard [Ellerbe] recommended, I will recommend the same,” Espinoza continued. “Order early, buy early. Avoid the rush on Saturday. We do expect unprecedented traffic with our cable satellite telcos and digital providers. So to be safe, please encourage everyone to get out and order early.”

Unfortunately, not all cable providers offer early PPV purchases. But, for those that do, assuming you’re looking to join the hoards of fans across the world watching Mayweather vs. McGregor, take Espinoza’s advice and empty the piggy bank right now.

For much more on “Mayweather vs. McGregor” be sure to hit up our comprehensive (and impressive) collection of event-related stories right here.