Why watch UFC when you can pay-per-view the Met Opera?

America’s foremost performing arts organization is taking a cue from Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The Metropolitan Opera, whose regular performances at New York’s Lincoln Center have been on hold since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, is launching a pay-per-view option today, letting stir-crazy music lovers get their opera fix with a series of live-streamed concerts for $20 a pop. The 12 concerts will take place throughout the summer and fall at various scenic locations in Europe and the United States, and will feature such vocal power-hitters as Jonas Kaufmann, Renée Fleming, Roberto Alagna, and Aleksandra Kurzak.

Met Opera boss Peter Gelb announced the new venture via Zoom this week. Tickets are set to go on sale today at noon and can be purchased on the Met Opera website.

With a sprawling operating budget of over $300 million and a heavy reliance on the deep pockets of rich patrons, the Met is facing an existential crisis in the COVID-19 era. Mass gatherings in New York have been sidelined since March, and while the organization has said it hopes to reopen its doors on December 31, theater insiders increasingly believe indoor venues will not be able to welcome large crowds until there is a working vaccine or treatment.

That makes pay-per-view streaming a potentially vital stopgap for the Met as it plans for its post-pandemic future. In March, the organization began offering free streams of past performances, and a rep says some 11.8 million people have viewed the series since. The streaming series also helped generate 30,000 new donors, the Met says.

The forthcoming live concerts will be accessible for 12 days after each event, and you can watch them on your computer, phone, or smart TV with Chromecast or AirPlay.

Check out the full schedule below: