Buffalo Wild Wings charging cover to watch Mayweather-Pacquiao fight

Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao
If you want to watch the Fight of The Century at a bar, bring extra for the cover charge -- even at Buffalo Wild Wings.

If you want to watch the huge Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight this Saturday and you aren't one of the 1 percenters heading to Vegas, you'll have to shell out nearly $100 to view it from home in HD.

Or you can go to a bar.

That will cost you too though -- even if you plan on watching it at a local Buffalo Wild Wings.

Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD), the publicly traded restaurant chain that caters to sports fans, is going to charge a cover at a "handful" of company-owned restaurants.

Buffalo Wild Wings said nine corporate locations are carrying the fight and will have a $20 cover charge.

Related: Mayweather-Pacquiao tickets: The cheap seats cost $1,500

Its franchised restaurants have charged covers in the past for big fights. (Shareholders don't appear to be banking on a big boost from Floyd and Manny though. The stock tumbled more than 10% Wednesday following its earnings report.)

"It's difficult for us to gauge number of franchises carrying it and whether they are doing a cover charge or table minimum," a spokesperson for the company said.

In fact, one of the company's newest franchises in the Philippines -- which is where Manny Pacquiao is from -- will be showing the fight. It opened earlier this year.

The spokesperson said the Pasig City-located Buffalo Wild Wings is charging 2000 PHL pesos, approximately $45 -- a seat charge of $33 and a $12 minimum for food and beverages.

But CEO Sally Smith said during a conference call with analysts Tuesday that the cover charge for the company-owned restaurants was "due to the significantly increased cost of the fight."

Related: 10 ways Floyd Mayweather could spend his millions

Buffalo Wild Wings and other bars around the country have to spend a lot more than what it costs you and me at home to order the pay-per-view telecast.

Bars have to pay a licensing fee to promoters based on the legal occupancy of their establishment. That can run a business thousands of dollars.

And there have been several stories about how so-called "pay-per-view cops" often go to check up on bars and restaurants on the night of a big boxing or Ultimate Fighting Championship match to make sure they are legally allowed to show the fight.

Mayweather-Pacquiao fight set for May
Mayweather-Pacquiao fight set for May

Buffalo Wild Wings is not alone in asking customers to pay an entry fee. Some places are cheaper than others.

It's only $20 at Lodo's Bar and Grill in Denver and the Revelry on Richmond in Houston.

The Promenade Bar and Grill in Manhattan is charging $100 -- but that does include top-shelf liquor and hors d'oeuvres.

Society on High in Boston has already sold out $35 tickets to come watch the fight on a standing-room only basis as well as $175 tickets for a VIP table for six.

But if you want to show up at Society on High without a ticket and snag a seat at the bar, be prepared to pay a minimum of $75 for food and booze.

At prices like that, it looks like getting a bunch of friends to come over for pizza and beer and split the pay-per-view cost sounds like the cheapest (and probably most fun) way to watch the Fight of the Century.

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