Swatch Group, the world's bestselling watchmaker, is to introduce models that can make contactless payments and display data sent by smartphones.

The Swiss company's chief executive said the first of the tech-enhanced timepieces would go on sale in May.
But he said he had no plans to sell the kinds of fully featured smartwatches being offered by Apple, Motorola, Pebble and others.
Swatch accounts for 18% of all watch sale revenues, according to industry data.
The company, which makes devices under the Omega, Breguet, Calvin Klein, Rado and other brands, as well as its own, has consistently increased its market share over the past five years.
It recently reported 8.7bn Swiss francs ($9.2bn; Â£6.2bn) of sales for its last financial year, a 3% improvement on the previous period.
However, some observers believe it and other mainstream watchmakers face disruption from tech industry giants who have begun selling wearable products.
Swatch's chief executive Nick Hayek said his company was planning to introduce two types of wireless communication tech to its wristwear:
Swatch said it had teamed up with China UnionPay, a Chinese credit card association, to provide touchless payments in that country. Reuters news agency reported that a similar deal with Visa is believed to be in the works for other parts of the world.
However, Mr Hayek indicated that Swatch would leave it up to others to unlock the full potential of its moves.
"Whatever usage you want, you ask some creative people to create some apps and then our chip has different layers that you can program yourself - we give it to you," he told a press conference in the Swiss town of Corgemont.
"You buy your Swatch, the one you like, and then you configure it."
He added that he believed that his company's expertise in manufacturing "ultra-low power" watches gave it an advantage over tech firms, whose products typically need to be recharged daily.
But he made clear that he had no intention of developing a product to go head-to-head with Android Wear or Apple's Watch OS.
"We are not a consumer electronics company," he said.
"We are not going to transform and put the mobile phone on the wrist. Let the others do it. Samsung did it, Sony did it. Everybody does it."
But Swatch is releasing an update to its existing fitness tracker.
The new waterproof Swatch Touch Zero One is targeted at beach volleyball players and can track their number of footsteps and measure how hard they smack the ball with their hands.
It uses one of the company's standard batteries, which Swatch says lasts months between needing to be swapped.
Earlier this week, Elmar Mock - one of Swatch's original engineers, who now heads the Creaholic consultancy - said his former employer risked underestimating the threat it faced from Silicon Valley
"It's understandable why [luxury brands] Breguet, Rolex, Cartier or Patek Philippe are disinterested," he told the Swissinfo news site.
"Swatch, on the other hand, should be taking a leading role.
"Swiss watchmakers seem to have forgotten how they underestimated Japanese quartz watches in the 1970s as mere gadgets and not real watches. That mistake led to the near-collapse of the watch industry."
However, one industry analyst told the BBC he thought that Swatch was relatively well placed to maintain its lead.
"I like that Swatch has its own strategy - we have seen so many me-too products over the past year, and it's good that Swatch is putting a very strong focus on battery power," said Pascal Koenig, of the Smartwatch Group consultancy.
"It also has desirable strong brands, a very good retail network - especially in Asia - good production and impressive hardware know-how.
"I do think, however, that Swatch is not good on the software side. It needs to do more on apps.
"But it has a lot of cash on its balance sheet that could be used for an acquisition to help with that."
Other leading watchmakers, including Fossil and Tag Heuer, are expected to outline their smartwatch strategies at the Baselworld trade show in Switzerland next week.


The chief executive of the company hired to stage the opening ceremony of the upcoming Rio Olympics has told the BBC the show will cost less than London's in 2012.

Antonio Abete adds he is 100% confident everything will go ahead as planned.
At a time of economic crisis in Brazil, they are doing it on a strict budget.
But his team are promising a spectacle that will be bigger and better than London 2012, which cost $40m (Â£31m), and was directed by Danny Boyle.
Mr Abete works for Filmmaster Events, and is answerable to the International Olympic Committee for delivering a show that will be watched by a global audience of around three billion people.
"The budget is completely different. We cannot say the real numbers, firstly because we are not allowed, but secondly because it's really difficult to know what the real number is.
"It's much less than London. It's because in Brazil everyone knows what the situation is, economically and politically. It's correct to invest money in the opening ceremony, but I think it's also correct to invest the right money.
"We are completely confident we can create an amazing show, without spending the huge amounts that the previous Olympic ceremonies had."
So, what will actually be in the opening ceremony?
As usual, the plan will be for national teams to arrive in the MaracanÃ£ stadium to the cheers of the world.
The creative directors are Brazilian filmmakers Fernando Meirelles and Daniela Thomas, with a cast of some 6,000 volunteers.
The internet is full of rumours of new technology - such as drones - being used, to be merged with samba and carnival themes to create an aerial display to remember. Antonio Abete gives a tight-lipped smile.
"Now you are asking me to tell  you something that is secret, but I will tell you something. Usually the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games focuses on the culture and the history of the host country.  In this case, we'll be different, because Brazil is an incredible country.
"In Brazil you cannot find only one culture, but more than one.  Let me say, more than two, three or four.  So, it will be a mix, and we will create a show, the biggest event in the world, not just Brazillian culture but world culture."
The secret will be out in less than a month, with the ceremony taking place on Friday, 5 August.
The full interview can be heard on BBC World Service radio on World Business Report at 1830 BST on Friday, 8 July, and again on Business Matters at 0100 BST on Saturday, 9 July.
You can also watch it on an edition of BBC Facebook Live


A man who attacked a fellow party-goer with a knife at a flat in Glasgow has been jailed for seven years.

Brian Conroy, 30, claimed he was not responsible for stabbing 26-year-old David Mair at the flat in Dennistoun on 18 November 2012.
But a jury at the High Court in Edinburgh convicted him of attempted murder after hearing how he apparently admitted the attack in a text message.
The court heard that the attack had left Mr Mair permanently scarred.
The jury heard about an exchange of text messages in which Conroy was asked: "Why did you do it?" His reply had apparently agreed he was responsible.
During the trial Conroy claimed he had only taken part in banter and had only agreed he was the one who had spilled beer on a carpet.
He denied going into the kitchen of the flat in Findlay Drive and arming himself with a knife after arguing with Mr Mair.
Conroy, from Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire, was found guilty of attacking Mr Mair, brandishing a knife and striking him repeatedly on the body.


A funeral has been held for a seven-year-old boy killed in a bus crash in Coventry.

Rowan Fitzgerald was on the upper deck when the vehicle crashed into a supermarket in the city centre on 3 October.
The other person killed was 76-year old pedestrian Dora Hancox, whose funeral was held on Tuesday.
The service for Rowan was held at St Peter's Roman Catholic Church in Leamington Spa.
His coffin, made from in white cedarwood with his name on the side, lay alongside football-themed tributes for the Coventry City fan.
A minute's applause was held ahead of Coventry City's match against Blackpool earlier this month.
Rowan's family, from Leamington Spa, have described him as "an adorable caring person" whose "cheeky smile lit up any room".


Andy Murray eased into the last 16 of the French Open with a straight-set victory over big-serving Ivo Karlovic.

Media playback is not supported on this device
The British number one, who has reached the semi-finals in each of the past two years, was dominant in recording a 6-1 6-4 7-6 (7-3) win.
He broke Karlovic's opening serve in each of the first two sets before sealing victory in a tie-break.
The Scot will play another big server in the next round after American John Isner beat Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili.
"It was very close, especially in the third set," Murray said. "He fought right to the end.
"I started quickly and obviously it is great to get off court in a relatively quick match."
British number two Aljaz Bedene will attempt to follow his compatriot into the fourth round when he takes on world number one and top seed Novak Djokovic on Saturday.
Relive Murray's dominant performance
Latest scores from Roland Garros
Murray was understandably delighted to win in swift time - he wrapped up the first set in 24 minutes and the second in 39 - after a difficult start to the tournament.
He was taken to five sets by both Radek Stepanek and Mathias Bourgue in the opening two rounds, but was quick to take control in this match.
He set the tone with an outrageous lob over 6ft 11in Karlovic on his way to breaking the 37-year-old in his opening service game.
That tactic continued to pay dividends for Murray as he drew the Croat to the net and deftly clipped the ball out of his reach on a number of occasions.
Karlovic, the oldest player to reach the third round of a Grand Slam since Jimmy Connors in 1991, was more resolute in the final set but Murray bided his time before finishing the job in the tie-break.
His opponent did not have a single chance to break serve in the entire match.
It was a far from taxing contest, with the short rallies welcome after previous exertions. Of the 174 points the two played, only 22 comprised more than four shots.
BBC Sport tennis correspondent Russell Fuller
"Murray played like a man who had an excellent night's sleep. His serve was back in the groove and the belief back in his groundstrokes.
"He did not face a single break point, and played a very composed tie-break to complete the quick win he so craved: chasing a lob to hit a backhand crosscourt winner in the first point of the tie-break provided the spark required.
"Karlovic took a while to find his rhythm on serve (hardly surprising at the age of 37 and after a four-and-a-half-hour match on Wednesday), but he became increasingly fluent and it was notable how Murray was able to maintain his high level from beginning to end."
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Plenty of showmanship but precious little substance.

That's probably a fair summation of the quizzing of Máirtín Ó Muilleoir by Stormont's Finance Committee on Wednesday.
The finance minister was called to answer questions on what knowledge he had of secret contacts between Sinn Féin colleagues and a witness to a Northern Ireland Assembly inquiry into alleged wrongdoing in the region's biggest ever property deal.
Daíthí McKay resigned in August after it emerged he had advised loyalist blogger Jamie Bryson ahead of his appearance before the Finance Committee in September 2015, which Mr McKay chaired at the time.
Mr Ó Muilleoir's name appeared in messages sent to Mr Bryson but he had previously denied any involvement in the back-channel correspondence and resisted calls to give up his ministerial post.
The session was delayed by an hour after an intervention by the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
A senior detective felt it was "inappropriate ... to have parliamentary scrutiny" of a matter that is the subject of a criminal investigation.
But, eventually, on the session went, and as he took his seat in committee room 29 of Parliament Buildings, Mr Ó Muilleoir cut a relaxed figure, adamant that he had "no questions to answer".
The tension quickly rose, though, during his exchanges with chairperson Emma Little-Pengelly.
Each one of her questions was met with an insistence of no involvement.
And those insistences became more and more colourful as the session progressed.
His knowledge, he said, amounted to "zilch, nada, nothing".
And "those who were throwing the mud" over the claims, he added, "haven't been able to get any thread, any scintilla, any little square patch of evidence" linking him to the "disgraceful and inappropriate behaviour".
"Totally relaxed, totally chillaxed" was how he was feeling about the affair, but he turned on Jonathan Bell during the DUP MLA's go at popping the questions.
Mr Ó Muilleoir accused him of being the man who "bust the finances" of the Northern Ireland Executive due to his overseeing as enterprise minister a renewable energy scheme that could hit region's budget by "hundreds of millions of pounds".
"I'm cleaning up your mess," he jabbed.
Then came the turn of Jim Allister, who accused the minister of "pulling up the drawbridge".
It was another claim dismissed with a wry smile by Mr Ó Muilleoir.
He said he admired the TUV leader's "crescendo" and likened it to the end of an episode of TV detective show Columbo... but minus the last-gasp strand of evidence.
There was not "just one more thing", as the cigar-smoking cop from Los Angeles might have said.
"Sometimes those who are most smug fall the hardest," Mr Allister sniped back at the man in the spotlight.
Ultimately, little was learned - no ties were uncovered between Mr Ó Muilleoir and Mr Bryson.
The blogger has made some explosive claims since the Nama revelation first came to light, but the minister described him as nothing more than an "empty vessel".
And, as Mrs Little-Pengelly concluded, the question remains: "Who was filling that vessel?"


Romania's Fed Cup captain, the former world number one and Grand Slam champion Ilie Nastase, has been heard making a derogatory comment about Serena Williams' unborn child.

As Romanian player Simona Halep was answering a question in English about Williams' pregnancy at Friday's Fed Cup draw in Constanta, the 70-year-old turned to one of his other team members and added in Romanian: "Let's see what colour it has. Chocolate with milk?"
A spokesman for the International Tennis Federation has told the BBC it is aware of the comments and has begun an immediate investigation.
"The ITF does not tolerate discriminatory and offensive language and behaviour of any kind," the statement reads.
"We are aware of alleged comments made by Romanian captain Ilie Nastase and have begun an immediate investigation so that we have the full facts of the situation before taking further and appropriate action."
Romanian journalists present did not ask anything more about the statement but appeared to try to pass off the comment as a joke.
This is the second time in a month that Nastase has made comments about the American world number two.
In late March he made unsubstantiated allegations about Williams' doping record to the Romanian website Digisport.
During the draw ceremony on Friday, Nastase also put his arm tightly around British team captain Anne Keothavong and asked for her room number, in earshot of the watching media.
I understand that Nastase made a similar comment to Keothavong, who is pregnant with her second child, at Thursday's team dinner.
George Cosac, president of the Romanian Tennis Federation, was at the draw but did not stay for the news conference and will not comment on the matter.
Great Britain and Romania begin their two-day World Group play-off tie on Saturday at 10:00 BST.
Williams is due to give birth in the autumn and had posted a picture on Snapchat on Wednesday, posing in a mirror with the message: "20 weeks", before deleting it.
But the news was confirmed later on Wednesday by her representative.
Williams will miss the rest of the season, having not played since the Australian Open, citing a knee injury.
Williams, who will return to world number one next week, would be eligible to retain her ranking under the WTA special ranking rule if she is ready to play her first tournament within 12 months of giving birth.
Williams announced her engagement to the co-founder of community news site Reddit, Alexis Ohanian, in December. The American is top of the all-time list of major winners since Grand Slams accepted professional players in 1968.
She is second only to Australian Margaret Court on the list of women's all-time Grand Slam singles titles leaders - Court won 24 titles between 1960 and 1973.
Court, who won the singles Grand Slam in 1970, gave birth to her first child in March 1972, aged 29, and returned to win three of the four Grand Slam events in 1973.
Williams is a five-time Tour finals winner, the last of which came in 2014, and was recently picked as the greatest female tennis player of the Open era by BBC Sport readers.


The search for a 90-year-old man missing off the coast has continued with police appealing for photographs or footage of his boat at sea.

Arthur Roy Taylor, from Lancashire, left his accommodation at about 09:30 BST on Saturday to take his boat out from Gwbert boat club in Ceredigion.
His dinghy was found on Sunday but Mr Taylor is "still unaccounted for".
Police have continued land searches on Tuesday.
Mr Taylor used to live in the Cardigan area before moving to Lancashire, but was a frequent visitor because of his association with the Teifi Boating Club.
Police have appealed for information from anyone who saw him Saturday morning before he left the boat club or while he was on the water.
While air searches have finished, police continue to patrol the land with coastguard staff ready to help if needed.
Sgt Gareth Jones of Dyfed-Powys Police called for walkers on the coastal path in Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire to keep an eye out for signs of the missing sailor.
He said anyone who "saw someone in distress" in the area at the weekend should get in touch.


Papers have been lodged at the High Court in Edinburgh in a bid to bring a private prosecution against the Glasgow bin lorry driver Harry Clarke.

The bereaved Sweeney/McQuade family submitted the Bill for Criminal Letters this week after the Lord Advocate said he would not support the move.
Judges will now decide whether the private prosecution can go ahead.
They will also decide on another private prosecution bid over the deaths of two students in Glasgow in 2010.
In a statement, the Scottish Courts and tribunals Service (SCTS) said: "SCTS can confirm that a Bill for Criminal Letters on behalf of Matthew McQuade, Jacqueline McQuade and Yvonne Reilly against Henry Clarke and a Bill for Criminal Letters on behalf of John Stewart, Linda Stewart, Alan Convey and Aileen Convey against William Payne were lodged at the High Court of Justiciary at Edinburgh on 27 January.
"The next stage is for the court to determine further procedure."
The Sweeney/McQuade family want Mr Clarke prosecuted as a fatal accident inquiry found the crash could have been avoided if he had not lied about his medical history.
Mr Clarke, 58, was unconscious when the Glasgow City Council bin lorry veered out of control, killing six people and injuring 17 others.
Those who died in the crash were Erin McQuade, 18, her grandparents Jack Sweeney, 68, and his 69-year-old wife Lorraine, from Dumbarton, Stephenie Tait, 29, and Jacqueline Morton, 51, both from Glasgow, and Gillian Ewing, 52, from Edinburgh.
The Crown Office later said no-one would face charges over the crash and earlier this week, the Lord Advocate said he would not support a private prosecution against Mr Clarke on the grounds that there was not enough evidence.
Scotland's most senior law officer also said he would not support a private prosecution by the families of two students who were killed by a driver with a history of blackouts.
Mhairi Convy, 18, and Laura Stewart, 20, died after William Payne passed out and his Range Rover hit them on North Hanover Street, Glasgow, in 2010.
An attempt to prosecute Mr Payne was later dropped by the Crown in 2013.
The girls' families have now lodged a Bill of Criminal letters at the High Court in Edinburgh in a bid to start a prosecution.
Like the bin lorry case, the Convy and Stewart families can now only proceed with a private prosecution if they have permission from High Court judges.


Honduras has a long history of military rule, corruption, poverty and crime which have rendered it one of the least developed and most unstable countries in Central America.

Until the mid-1980s Honduras was dominated by the military, which enthusiastically supported US efforts to stem revolutionary movements in the region. Since then, civilian leaders have sought to curb the power of the military, with varying degrees of success.
Gang violence, drug wars and extortion are commonplace and the country is notorious for having the world's highest murder rate per capita.
Inequalities in wealth remain high, with nearly half of the population living below the poverty line. Thousands of Hondurans leave to go to the US each year and the remittances they send home are a crucial source of income for many families.
Once dominated by foreign-owned banana companies, the country remains a major fruit exporter. It is also Central America's second largest coffee producer.
Population 7.9 million
Area 112,492 sq km (43,433 sq miles)
Major languages Spanish, indigenous languages, English
Major religion Christianity
Life expectancy 71 years (men), 76 years (women)
Currency lempira
President: Juan Orlando Hernandez
Juan Orlando Hernandez took office in January 2014, promising a zero tolerance approach towards organized crime and pledging to bring down the high levels of drug-related violence.
He won elections in the previous November, beating off challenger Xiomara Castro, the wife of former president Manuel Zelaya - whose ouster in a 2009 coup triggered a deep political crisis.
During his four-year term due to end in January 2018, Mr Hernandez is also facing deep economic challenges, including high unemployment and poverty levels.
Since the 2009 coup, Honduras has been one of the western hemisphere's most dangerous countries for journalists.
Twenty-eight journalists and media workers have been killed since 2000, Reporters Without Borders reported in 2015.
Harassment against broadcasting outlets has included assaults, threats, blocked transmissions and power outages, says Freedom House.
Media freedom is restricted by punitive defamation laws, and reporters tend to exercise self-censorship. Ownership of media outlets is concentrated in the hands of a few powerful business interests, US-based Freedom House notes.
There were 2.4 million internet users by November 2015, about 24% of the population (Internetworldstats). Facebook is the leading social network.
Some key dates in the history of Honduras:
1502 - Christopher Colombus lands in Honduras, a country originally inhabited by indigenous tribes, most notably the Maya. Spanish colonisation begins in 1524.
1821 - Honduras declares independence, becomes part of Mexican Empire until 1823, when it joins United Provinces of Central America until federation collapses in 1838.
1839 - Republic falls under influence of US corporations which establish vast fruit plantations.
1963 - President Ramone Morales is deposed in coup. Colonel Osvaldo Lopez Arellano heads first of string of military regimes in power until 1981.
1969 - Football War with El Salvador; 4,000 die in 100-hour conflict.
1981-82 - First civilian government in over a century elected but military remains influential.
1980s - Honduras is a stronghold for the US in its proxy war against socialist Sandinistas in Nicaragua, training and funding Contra rebels. Many Hondurans flee to the US.
2000-04 - US deports 20,000 people to Central America, including rival groups - Salvatrucha and 18 Street - which bring gang culture to the region.
1998 - Hurricane Mitch devastates Honduras.
2007 - A long-time US ally, Honduras breaks with tradition as President Manuel Zelaya becomes the first Honduran president to visit Cuba in 50 years.
2009 - Several years of a weak but strengthening democracy are curtailed when President Manuel Zelaya is deposed in a military coup.


Birmingham City have won their appeal against Maikel Kieftenbeld's red card in Saturday's win over Bristol City.

The 27-year-old Dutch midfielder was sent off in the 80th minute of Blues' 2-1 win for a tackle on Callum O'Dowda.
Speaking after the game Birmingham manager Harry Redknapp called the decision "diabolical" and "terrible".
Kieftenbeld, who would have faced a three-match suspension, will now be available to feature in Tuesday's game with Bolton.


The new owners of a Scots armoured vehicle firm bought out of administration have said they are "desperate" to speak to former staff.

Hull-based Martin Williams Ltd took over Penman Engineering near Dumfries last week.
The Heathhall site employed about 140 staff before it went into administration earlier this year.
Director Nick Williams said they had already spoken to some former workers but were keen to hear from others.
He said: "We are actively engaging with some former staff but we're still desperate to hear from the rest of the old workforce together with any design and production engineers."
The company believes it could bring the workforce back to its former levels or even beyond during 2017.
Fellow director Chris Williams added: "We will transfer work from our Hull site to Dumfries in a bid to keep a steady production flow.
"The area has great pool of engineering skill and abilities which we need to tap into.
"We intend to continue to invest in the Dumfries site and by this time next year, Penman will be bigger and better than ever."


Germany's Angela Merkel has said a US official's apparent insult of the EU's efforts to mediate in the Ukraine crisis is "totally unacceptable".

Victoria Nuland has apologised after she referred disparagingly to the EU's role during a conversation said to be with the US ambassador to Ukraine.
A recording of the exchange was posted online, with the US hinting at Russia's involvement in bugging and leaking it.
The EU and US are involved in talks to end months of unrest in Ukraine.
By Gavin HewittEurope editor
The conversation between Ms Nuland and Mr Pyatt reveals deeper tensions between America and Europe.
Washington seems to prefer a deal brokered by the UN rather than Brussels. If true, that would bruise the feelings of EU officials. They believe this is their crisis to solve.
Today's comments and accusations are a reminder that this crisis is far from over and that it has the potential to cause division and tension even between allies.
Transcript of leaked US Ukraine call
In Kiev, Ms Nuland - an assistant secretary of state - said she would not make a public statement on the matter.
She described the leak as "pretty impressive tradecraft. [The] audio quality was very good".
The state department said she had apologised in private to EU officials.
Mass anti-government protests erupted in Ukraine in late November after President Viktor Yanukovych refused to sign a far-reaching association and trade agreement with the EU - under heavy pressure from Moscow.
Russia has been widely accused of using its economic clout to persuade Mr Yanukovych not to pursue closer ties with Brussels.
Russia has itself accused Washington and the EU of meddling in Ukraine.
German government spokeswoman Christiane Wirtz said Ms Merkel fully supported the work done by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton to find a solution to the crisis.
Contact sport
"The chancellor finds these remarks totally unacceptable and wants to emphasise that Mrs Ashton is doing an outstanding job," Ms Wirtz said.
The alleged conversation between Ms Nuland and the US ambassador to Ukraine, Geoffrey Pyatt, appeared on YouTube on Thursday.
The video, which lasts for four minutes and 10 seconds, was entitled "Maidan's puppets" in Russian - a reference to the square in Kiev, where pro-EU protests have been held for months.
A transcript of the whole conversation was also posted in Russian.
At one point, the female speaker mentions the UN and its attempts to find a solution to the Ukraine stand-off.
She says: "So that would be great, I think, to help glue this thing and have the UN help glue it and you know. [Expletive deleted] the EU."
21 November 2013: Protests start after Ukraine pulls out of EU deal
17 December: Russia agrees $15bn deal to buy Ukraine government bonds
16 January 2014: Parliament passes law restricting the right to protest
22 January: Two protesters killed in clashes with police in Kiev; protests spread across many cities
28 January: Parliament votes to annul protest law; PM and cabinet resign
29 January: Parliament passes amnesty law for detained protesters
Leaked call shows US hand on Ukraine
Ukraine's protest leaders
Q&A: Stand-off in Ukraine
The male replies: "We've got to do something to make it stick together, because you can be pretty sure that if it does start to gain altitude the Russians will be working behind the scenes to try to torpedo it."
The two people also discuss their dealings with Ukraine's three main opposition leaders - Vitaly Klitschko, Arseniy Yatseniuk and Oleh Tyahnybok and their attempts to encourage them to work together.
However, the female speaker says that Mr Klitschko, the former heavyweight boxing world champion, should not be in any new government. "I don't think it's a good idea."
She adds: "I think Yats [Arseniy Yatseniuk] is the guy who's got the economic experience."
US officials refused to confirm or deny the tape's authenticity and EU officials refused to comment.
However, state department spokeswoman Jen Psaki suggested that the tape could have been leaked by Moscow, noting that a senior Russian official was one of the first to draw attention to the audio.
"We think this is a new low in Russian tradecraft. This is something they've been actively promoting, posting on, tweeting about," she said.
Russian government aide Dmitry Loskutov, who was one of the first to draw attention to the posting, told the AP news agency that neither he nor the government had leaked the conversation.
Moscow has promised a $15bn (£9.2bn) loan to Ukraine but said it would not be released in full until the formation of a new government in Kiev.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and his cabinet resigned last month as President Yanukovych sought to calm street protests.


Pontypridd MP and potential Labour leadership challenger Owen Smith has said the party is in danger of "splitting apart".

Mr Smith said he would do anything to serve the party but he and Unite union leader Len McClusky urged members to give Jeremy Corbyn more time.
Mr Smith said he had been talking to Mr McCluskey and Mr Corbyn to "explore what I can do" to heal party rifts.
He added that he has been reassured talks had been "productive".
Mr Corbyn has faced a challenge to his authority as Labour leader after he lost a no-confidence vote and many of his shadow cabinet members, including Mr Smith, resigned.
Mr Smith said he needed more time to reach a resolution over this weekend.
"Over the last week, I have been contacted by hundreds of Labour members and MPs deeply worried that the Labour Party is truly in danger of splitting apart," he said in statement.
"I share those fears and call on everyone in our movement to do all we can to avert such a disastrous outcome.
"I stand ready to do anything I can to save and serve the party.
Mr Smith said he "spoke directly" Mr McCluskey of Unite and Mr Corbyn on Wednesday "to explore what I can do to try and heal the rifts that have opened up in our movement".
He said: "On behalf of the trades unions, Len has reassured me that the talks he has opened up between Jeremy and Tom Watson have been productive and has asked that they are given more time this weekend to see what further progress can be made towards a resolution.
"Jeremy has also reassured me that he is engaging in talks with an open mind.
"I believe that all of us whose priority is to restore unity in the Labour movement and give us a chance to defeat our only true enemy, the Tories, should give these talks every chance to succeed.
"That is what I intend to do and I urge all my colleagues to do likewise."
Mr Corbyn has resisted calls to step down after Labour MPs voted by 172-40 that they had no confidence in him.
After the mass resignation of most of Mr Corbyn's frontbench team, Mr Smith and former shadow business secretary Angela Eagle were understood to be considering a formal challenge to his position.


Firefighters are dealing with a major blaze at a business premises in west Belfast.

31 August 2016 Last updated at 18:25 BST
Seven fire engines are at the scene on the Blackstaff Road.
BBC News NI's Catherine Morrison reports.


Stoke City have made their second signing of the summer by bringing in Danish goalkeeper Jakob Haugaard from FC Midtjylland for an undisclosed fee.

The 23-year-old former Denmark youth international, who has agreed a three-year-deal, replaces compatriot Thomas Sorensen, who has been released.
"This is a huge opportunity for me," he told the Premier League club's website.
"I have known of Stoke's interest for quite a while now. It was December when I first spoke to my agent about it."
Haugaard, who helped FC Midtjylland win the Danish Superliga title this season, is aware of the Potters' improvement since promotion to the top flight in 2008.
"I follow the Premier League a lot," said the 6ft 6in Dane. "I know that the club has made tremendous progress over the last couple of years.
"Mark Hughes has brought a new style of play and it is one that I like very much. I can't wait to work with him and his staff. It is a great team with a great manager, so it is an opportunity I was never going to turn down."
Stoke's first-choice keeper Asmir Begovic is still in talks over a new contract at the Britannia Stadium, while his deputy - England Under-21 international Jack Butland -  signed a new four-year deal in March.
Haugaard's move comes after defender Philipp Wollscheid made his loan spell at the club permanent.


Kurdish fighters have regained control of the strategic Iraqi town of Sinjar which had been held by Islamic State (IS) militants since last year.

"I am here to announce the liberation of Sinjar," Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani said near the town.
The BBC's Jim Muir reports from Sinjar that Kurdish Peshmerga troops are walking in the middle of the roads to avoid unexploded bombs by the roadside.
IS killed and enslaved thousands of Yazidis after seizing the town.
Some 7,500 Iraqi Kurdish fighters, backed by Yazidi militias and Turkish Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels are taking part in the offensive.
There is rubble all around: shoes, twisted cars, mangled trucks set on fire by air strikes.
You have to stay in the middle of the road - after all, IS are adept at leaving behind booby traps.
Long-term fighting by the Peshmergas, who managed to get back about 30% of Sinjar, and extensive damage by air strikes managed to cut off IS fighters from all sides bar one.
They appear to have escaped through the only route left open in the south. They could have fought for a very long time if they had chosen to put up resistance in the heavily-built town.
What happens after Sinjar key to fight against IS
Profile: Who are the Peshmerga?
Who are the Yazidis?
Meanwhile, at least 17 people have died in a suicide bomb attack in Baghdad.
The bomber targeted the funeral of a Shia militia member in the south-west of the Iraqi capital and wounded more than 40 people.
Also in Iraq, the army says it has launched an offensive to recapture the western city of Ramadi from IS - although some local sources say the advance has not yet happened.
The offensive to retake Sinjar began at dawn on Thursday backed by US-led coalition air strikes.
Kurdish and Yazidi forces closed in on three fronts after coalition warplanes bombed IS positions, command-and-control facilities and weapons stores.
Within hours, they had successfully blocked Highway 47, the main supply road linking IS-held Mosul, to the east, and Raqqa, Islamic State's de facto capital in Syria, to the west, and secured three surrounding villages.
The Kurds estimated that there were almost 600 IS militants in Sinjar before the offensive began, but the coalition said they believed some 60 to 70 had been killed in Thursday's air strikes.
Thousands of Yazidis were either killed or abducted by IS militants when they captured Sinjar in August 2015, but many more became trapped on nearby Mount Sinjar without food or water for days until they were rescued by Syrian Kurdish forces.
The risk of genocide was a key factor in the US decision to launch air strikes in Iraq.
Hussein Derbo, the head of a Peshmerga battalion made up of 440 Yazidis, told Reuters: "It is our land and our honour. They [IS] stole our dignity. We want to get it back."
Speaking on a visit to Tunisia, US Secretary of State John Kerry said the operation to retake Sinjar had "serious strategic implications, not to mention the fact that the Yazidis who have been attacked and murdered, slaughtered and driven up on to a mountain and who have been living terrible lives over this period of time, need the right to be able to return to their home".


Kenya's Julius Yego, who refined his javelin technique watching YouTube videos, says his World Championship gold medal was "really unbelievable".

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At 5ft 9ins, the 26-year-old is relatively diminutive in the sport, but he threw 92.72m - a Commonwealth record - to win the competition by nearly four metres.
"I had a serious injury and thought I won't compete in Beijing," he said.
"Very few athletes have done what I have done."
The 85kg Commonwealth champion, who initially hoped to join the ranks of famous Kenyan runners, has improved his technique after watching videos of Jan Zelezny of the Czech Republic and Norwegian Andreas Thorkildsen, who both won Olympic and world titles.
"There will not be another YouTube athlete coming through," he added. "I want to go back and watch my throw, it was almost perfect."
Earlier in the day, it was announced his team-mates Joyce Zakary and Koki Manunga had tested positive for doping at the championships. Thirteen Kenyan athletes are currently serving suspensions for doping offences.
Yego said: "I can't dwell on that, it's a shame. I always believe you can win clean. In sport you win clean."
According to his IAAF profile, Yego is the fourth born in a family of seven and hails from the Kenyan region of Nandi South County.
Yego had initially been recruited by the police near Nairobi, with the head coach of the national force, Nicholas Kilisio, claiming he influenced his career from an early age.
"We saw the talent in him and decided to take him. He had a small frame but we have bulked him up," said Kilisio.
After winning national junior titles, Yego was selected to represent Kenya at the 2010 African Championships, where he won bronze.
His career then took off when he met Finnish javelin coach Petteri Piironen, who also looks after world silver medallist Ihab El Sayed of Egypt.
The Kenyan travelled to Finland on an IAAF scholarship, initially for two weeks in the winter of 2011-12 - where temperatures fell to about -30C.
"He had been throwing 78m, so I knew if he could throw that without a coach he must be talented," said Piironen in 2013.
"He was quite explosive, had a good upper body, but he was quite weak in the legs and I had to change some technical things."
He was selected as Kenya's only field athlete in a team of 44 at London 2012. Despite finishing 12th, he set a new national record of  81.81m.
Improvement was seen at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, where Yego narrowly missed out on bronze after throwing 85.40m.
But a year later, he did win his first major title when he threw 83.87m to win the Commonwealth gold in Glasgow - the first Kenyan to win a field event at the Games.
Allison Curbishley on BBC Radio 5 live:
"Julius Yego is on billboards everywhere in Kenya. If he was a legend already in Kenya he's now elevated himself to a global icon.
"He will enjoy every moment of this. Another medal for Kenya - they are taking over the world."
Denise Lewis on BBC Sport:
"This was fantastic for his country. It's quality when you see so much power go through a singular point in the javelin.
"It's a great story of determination and eagerness to learn."
Kenya are top of the medal table with six golds and 11 medals in total - here are the country's other title winners:
Hyvin Kiyeng Jepkemoi - women's 3,000m steeplechase
David Rudisha - men's 800m
Nicholas Bett - men's 400m
Ezekiel Kemboi - men's 3,000m steeplechase
Vivian Jepkemoi Cheruiyot - women's 10,000m


A teenage girl who had been reported missing in Glasgow has been traced.

Police and family had expressed concern after Katie Henry was last seen on Wednesday in the Gorbals area of the city.
Officers issued an appeal on Friday and now say that the 14-year-old has been found safe and well.
A spokesman for Police Scotland thanked the public for their help in finding Katie.


England captain Wayne Rooney says the Football Association have made a "good appointment" by naming Sam Allardyce manager of the national side.

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Allardyce, 61, has signed an initial two-year contract after the FA agreed compensation with Sunderland.
Manchester United striker Rooney, England's all-time leading goalscorer, was part of the squad knocked out of Euro 2016 by Iceland in June.
"He will probably bring a different way of playing to England," he said.
"Hopefully it's a good way and we can be successful under him."
The 30-year-old said he had no intention of retiring from international football.
"Am I going to carry on?" said Rooney, who has scored 53 times for England in 115 appearances. "It was asked of me after the Euros, but yes, I'll be there."
The former Everton striker was speaking during United's pre-season tour of China, which they started with a 4-1 defeat by Borussia Dortmund.
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It's not been an easy few months for those who drive in central London.

Congestion seems to have increased through a combination of routine roadworks, public space alterations and the cycling superhighway works.
The traffic experts INRIX have measured the speeds at a couple of sites, and they confirm what everyone who uses the roads in London already knew.
At Elephant & Castle last year in morning rush hour the average speed was 14.9mph. Today, the average speed is 11.4mph.
It's even lower during the evening peak.
Elephant & Castle
AM 2014: 14.9mph
AM 2015: 11.4mph = down 23%
PM 2014: 12.6mph
PM 2015: 9.1mph = down 27%
On Embankment, where the flagship East-West cycle superhighway is partially open but still under construction, it's a similar picture with speeds down by 30%:
Embankment
AM 2014:  21.4mph
AM 2015: 14.8mph = down 30%
PM 2014: 17.5mph
PM 2015: 9.1mph = down 48%
(Data is based on the morning and early-evening peaks from a Thursday to a Wednesday, including the first half of a half-term week 22-28-October 2014 vs 21-27-October 2015).
Greg Hallsworth, a traffic data analyst at INRIX says: "With average speeds dropping by nearly half in the Embankment area and drivers' speeds decreasing by a quarter around the Elephant & Castle renovations, in both morning and evening rush hours, it is clear that the roadworks around the capital are slowing drivers down.
"Whilst in the short term this is frustrating for drivers who have to experience longer commutes to work, these roadworks are a step towards creating a more sustainable modernised road network in the capital. It's important we take into consideration the long-term benefits such improvements will have on London's congestion problem."
Of course, roadworks aren't the only cause of congestion. The Mayor has blamed it on a big rise in the number of private hire vehicles. London's growing population and a recovering economy create more construction and delivery traffic.
There is some good news, as we're told the works on the cycle superhighways should start to ease in the new year.
The bad news is congestion is going to get worse in the run-up to Christmas.
This is what the Cycling Commissioner Andrew Gilligan told me on Monday when I asked him what he'd say to those affected by his cycle works:
"I apologise to them. But I say to them most of them [the works] are temporary. We're almost at the worst now. It'll start getting better in a few weeks' time. Probably just before Christmas is the worst point and it will then start getting better.
"There will be some permanent loss of road capacity but not very much and we've changed the schemes considerably to make them less capacity-taking. But in the end the vast majority of journeys in central London aren't made by car."
And many will, of course, welcome safer cycling routes and say the short-term pain is worth it.


The main battleground in Wales in the final week of the referendum campaign will be the south Wales valleys.

This will be ripe territory for both sides because they believe that is where the highest numbers of undecided voters are to be found.
Morgan Brobyn, from Vote Leave, said he was looking to take advantage of the split loyalties many feel because of their previous support for remain-supporting Labour.
He said: "It is a combination of failed aspirations which they see around them and because they don't see any tangible benefit to the EU or any difference it's made to their lives.
"The level of structural funding is not enough of an incentive for them to remain."
Lord Hain, who is running the Welsh Labour In campaign, said between a fifth and a third of voters in its heartland areas were undecided.
He said: "People are beginning to get alarmed. We are going to have to fight for a vote that people took for granted.
"There is a big section that is undecided and they will hold the key."
It means that rock-solid Labour areas will become political battlegrounds during the next week, in marked contrast to normal elections where the results are often foregone conclusions.
Unlike in a first-past-the-post general election, every vote in a referendum counts as the the entire UK. In effect, becomes one giant constituency.
The Valleys feature prominently in the areas that Vote Leave will be focusing on in the final days of the campaign.
As well as Merthyr Tydfil and Caerphilly, they include Port Talbot, Cardiff and Newport.
In the north, extra resources will be deployed in the constituencies of Clwyd West, Aberconwy and Wrexham.
Leave campaigners say their blanket leafleting approach will be replaced by more targeted door-to-door canvassing in the final days.
Any undecided voters expressing some degree of sympathy for a Brexit to a Vote Leave campaigner can expect another visit on June 23rd as the campaign focuses on getting its vote out.
Senior Vote Leave figures admit some of their data is too narrow but they believe they are ahead in most parts of Wales apart from Anglesey, Gwynedd, Ceredigion, Cardiff and in Newport where they say they are neck-and-neck with remain.
They claim to have had up to 500 activists operating in Wales in the past week.
The make-up of the teams vary. In the Vale of Glamorgan, around 80% of the local Conservative activists who campaigned for the party in the recent assembly and general elections are out campaigning for leave.
The remain side is more difficult to characterise because it is made up of a number of different elements.
Wales Stronger In is the umbrella organisation, but it works alongside parties like Plaid Cymru, and parallel with the much larger ground operation run by Labour.
Labour has run a separate operation involving up to 1,000 people on a weekly basis, and has focused entirely on traditional voters using a combination of doorstep canvassing and town centre stalls.
From here until the referendum, Labour's focus will be in the south Wales valleys and Newport, where the party admits there is plenty of heavy lifting to be done.
Lord Hain believes in some areas it is developing into a head versus heart debate.
He says people have begun approaching them saying their heart wants them to leave but their head is telling them to stay.
And it is this remark which they are latching onto, as the leave side try to generate a sense of momentum in the final stage of the campaign.


It's the most famous tennis competition in the world.

3 July 2017 Last updated at 16:51 BST
So if you are one of the lucky few who got tickets for day one, it's not surprising you'd be pretty happy about it.
Ayshah's been chatting to some of the children who got to enjoy the big names playing on the first Monday of Wimbledon.
Who are they most excited to see play?


Edinburgh and Scotland prop WP Nel feared his career might have been over when he suffered a serious injury to his neck.

Nel missed all three of Scotland's Tests last autumn and was in rehab throughout the Six Nations.
But the 31-year-old returned against Italy in Singapore on Saturday.
"There was doubt, definitely," he told BBC Scotland. "Saturday was quite emotional just being back on the pitch. Just realising I had a second chance."
Having initially injured his neck in October and damaged it again in January, Nel was concerned he might have to retire.
"There were times when I thought 'maybe let's just cut it now', especially the second time it happened," he said.
"I missed eight months and I now feel like I can go on for another five or six years."
Nel lasted 50 minutes of the 34-13 win over Italy in a satisfying return to Test rugby after what has been a difficult time.
His first neck injury came in October in a European Challenge Cup game against Harlequins.
He was out injured for two months. His return came in January, in the rematch with Harlequins, and it lasted less than half an hour.
Nel suffered damage to the intervertebral disc in his neck and needed surgery.
It removed any hope of him playing in the Six Nations and, as a consequence, his chances of being selected for the British and Lions.
Before injury befell him, he was deemed a certainty to be part of Warren Gatland's squad.
"It wasn't the easiest eight months, but it's a contact sport and you can't chose when you want to be injured," said Nel, who is a wily tutor for young Scotland tight-heads Zander Fagerson and D'Arcy Rae.
"Mentally, it was really tough, but it's made me strong as well. It was hard to watch the boys playing and not be a part of it, although it was nice to see the likes of Zander coming in.
"The biggest low was when it happened the second time against Quins. You build up to something and think you can crack on and it didn't last.
"You know there's something wrong and something must be done. That's the mental bit.
"The specialist was quite confident and said: 'No, let's give this an opportunity, let's fix it'."
Nel had surgery soon after and is now back in the fold. Saturday was his 16th cap.
"It meant a lot to me," he said. "Just to get that game under my belt and be back with the boys was awesome."
Scotland have arrived at their base in Sydney. They're in the beachside resort of Coogee and overlook the Bay.
On Monday, they took a dip in the waters that were practically freezing compared to the oppressive heat of Singapore. On Saturday, they play the Wallabies.
Nel missed the November near-miss against Australia at Murrayfield but was heavily involved in the World Cup quarter-final the year before.
That too ended in a thrilling one-point victory for the Wallabies.
The prop stressed that their hosts still possess their usual threat in the backline but said their traditional weakness, their scrum, has improved vastly in the last couple of seasons.
"They've come a long way with their pack," he added. "Always, when you analysed them, you would look at how they attacked, but you really must look at their set-piece now.
"Their scrum has definitely improved. It's going to be a difficult challenge. But, come Saturday, we'll take it on."


Canadian freestyle skier Sarah Burke has died from injuries sustained in a training accident.

Burke, 29, helped bring freestyle skiing events to the Winter Olympics, and was considered a gold medal contender for the 2014 Games.
She was injured in a superpipe accident at Park City in the US state of Utah on 11 January.
Tests showed the freestyle skier had sustained "irreversible damage to her brain", a family spokeswoman said.
Burke, the four-time Winter X Games champion, crashed on the same superpipe where snowboarder Kevin Pearce suffered a traumatic brain injury during a training accident in late 2009.
The best-known athlete in her sport, Burke specialised in skiing the superpipe - a version of a traditional halfpipe with walls over 5m (16ft) high.
"Sarah, in many ways, defines the sport,'' Peter Judge, chief executive of Canada's freestyle team, said before she died.
"She's been involved since the very, very early days as one of the first people to bring skis into the pipe."
"She's also been very dedicated in trying to define her sport but not define herself by winning. For her, it's been about making herself the best she can be rather than comparing herself to other people.''
A native of Midland, Ontario, Burke won was named female action sports athlete of the year by TV network ESPN in 2007.
Burke tore her vertebral artery as a result of the fall, which led to severe bleeding on the brain. That caused her to go into cardiac arrest on the scene, where CPR was performed.
"The family expresses their heartfelt gratitude for the international outpouring of support they have received from all the people Sarah touched,'' Nicole Wool, her spokeswoman said.
Burke's organs and tissues were donated as per her wishes.
The sport's leaders defend the safety record of the superpipe and other freestyle events, pointing to requirements for mandatory helmet use, air bags on the sides of pipes during practice and better pipe-building technology.
"There are inherent risks in everything,'' Mr Judge said prior to her death.
"Freestyle is a very safe sport in large part because we had to build a safe sport in order to get into the Olympics.''


A West Lothian town has been named Scotland's first toilet-twinned town after locals raised money for sanitation projects in poor countries.

Bathgate received the accolade from the charity Toilet Twinning which encourages people to pay to provide a latrine for a family overseas.
People involved in the scheme met in Boghall Parish Church on Thursday - World Toilet Day.
It costs Â£60 to twin a household toilet.
Money raised goes to Tearfund's water and sanitation programme, which provides toilets, clean water and hygiene education in some of the world's poorest countries.
Gillian Reid, who has lived in Bathgate for 35 years, is involved in both the Bathgate and Whitburn Fair Trade groups whose coffee mornings funded some of the 20 local twins.
She said: "So many children die every day because they don't have clean water and sanitation. How much more basic can you get than needing a toilet to keep healthy?
"A toilet is something so fundamental. We're really proud to get this award - and I hope it will inspire others to twin too."
Lynne Paterson, director of Tearfund Scotland, said: "We tend to get a bit embarrassed talking about toilets in this country - but in the countries where we work, they are quite literally life-savers.
"Bathgate should be very proud of its achievement, its toilet twins will change many lives forever."


Turkey has imposed curfews and boosted security in its mainly Kurdish south-east, amid political turmoil over PKK Kurdish rebel attacks.

Turkish nationalists were enraged by a bomb blast on Sunday that killed 16 soldiers, then a rebel ambush that killed 14 police officers in a van - both incidents in the east.
It is a major escalation of ethnic tensions, putting in jeopardy fresh parliamentary elections scheduled for 1 November.
The pro-Kurdish HDP (Peoples' Democratic Party) accused the ruling AKP and Turkish intelligence of orchestrating more than 400 attacks on its offices.
The HDP headquarters in Ankara was gutted by fire after a crowd attacked it.
Turkish nationalists see the HDP as the political wing of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) - a claim vehemently denied by the HDP.
Since a ceasefire collapsed in July, deadly clashes between Turkish forces and the PKK have intensified.
Turkish jets bombed PKK bases in northern Iraq and the army launched a ground operation.
The HDP accuses President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of whipping up nationalist feelings in an attempt to engineer the majority that his AK Party needs to rule.
The HDP's success in the June election - winning more than 13% of the vote - denied the AKP a majority. And the AKP's efforts to form a new coalition collapsed.
There is a bigger geopolitical dimension to the latest tensions.
Many Kurds were angered by Turkey's failure to help Kurdish fighters in the battle for Kobane in northern Syria. After months of heavy fighting the Kurdish YPG group pushed so-called Islamic State (IS) militants out of the border town in late June.
On 20 July a suicide bombing killed 32 people - mostly Kurdish youth activists - in Suruc, a Turkish town not far from Kobane.
That fuelled a Kurdish belief that Turkey was avoiding action against IS because the Islamist extremists were a useful tool to prevent the YPG and PKK linking up along its border.


Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao weighed in as 11,500 fans watched on ahead of the most lucrative fight in history in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Entry to the weigh-in at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Friday was $10 (£6.60), although tickets were changing hands on the resale market for $800 (£530).
The fight is set to generate an estimated $400m (£265m).
American Mayweather scaled 146lb - one pound under the welterweight limit - and Pacquiao of the Philippines 145lb.
The pair will fight for the WBC, WBA and WBO welterweight titles.
"I believe that with my skills, I'm going to be victorious," said the 38-year-old Mayweather, who is unbeaten in 47 professional fights.
"I don't take anything away from Manny Pacquiao, he's a solid fighter and it will be an intriguing match-up.
"But after Saturday, I'll still be 'TBE' [The Best Ever]."
Pacquiao, who has 57 wins and five defeats from 64 pro fights, said: "It's a great responsibility for me to give enjoyment to the fans. The fans deserve to have a good fight, whether they are a fan of Mayweather or Pacquiao.
"The Lord will always be with me and strengthen me and deliver him into my hands."
Asked about the difference in size - Mayweather is 5ft 8ins and Pacquiao 5ft 6½ins with a reach difference of five inches in favour of the American - the Filipino southpaw added: "I've been fighting bigger guys - Oscar De La Hoya, Antonio Margarito... it doesn't matter to me."
The MGM Grand was abuzz the day before the fight, with people queuing to get into the Garden Arena hours before Mayweather and Pacquiao, 36, stepped on the scales.
It was the first time tickets had been sold for a weigh-in, with proceeds going to charity, and those that bought them were given a two-hour show.
Pacquiao was introduced to the stage first and looked relaxed, taking pictures of himself and waving to the large Philippine contingent.
Mayweather, on the other hand, was booed to the stage and looked tense, as he has done all week.
Pacquiao mouthed "thank you" to his rival as they engaged in the traditional stare-down, as a good-natured build-up continued.
"I don't know what he exactly said. No, I didn't respond," said Mayweather,
The MGM Grand Garden Arena holds 16,000 but as few as 500 tickets for the fight went on sale to the general public.
Tickets are changing hands on the resale market for as much as $350,000, while some have been prepared to pay $3,500 to watch the fight in one of 10 closed-circuit venues along the Las Vegas Strip.
Given the astronomical numbers involved, the fact this is a match-up between two of the greatest boxers ever has been forgotten by some.
Mayweather and Pacquiao have won world titles in five and six different weight divisions respectively. Whoever wins this weekend will be able to claim they are the best fighter of their era.
Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, admitted the remorseless hype had been hard to cope with.
"I've always liked big fights because I like big challenges," said Roach, who was in Oscar De la Hoya's corner when Mayweather beat him in 2007. "But, with this one, I might have bitten off more than I can chew.
"We're fighting a very good defensive fighter, but I'm one of those guys that believes offence wins fights. I think we'll overwhelm him with speed."
Roach felt both fighters had "declined a little bit", adding: "I've been watching Floyd's legs and they're not as good as they used to be. He doesn't move as fluently as he used to.
"We can knock him out late, but I really want to beat him on points. Either way, no problem."
Roach said Mayweather's relatively subdued mood in the build-up to the fight could be a sign that he is apprehensive about facing Pacquiao.
"At the first press conference, I told him we were going to kick his ass," said the 55-year-old American.
"I thought I was going to get something back, but we got nothing. He's been so nice, I really don't think he wants to be here."
Mayweather responded: "The camp went extremely smooth. I don't need to trash Manny Pacquiao, I know what I can do."


A four-year-old boy who was not expected to survive a crash which killed his mother and great-grandmother has met the aircrew which saved him.

Logan Murdoch suffered serious injuries in the crash and was not breathing when the Great North Air Ambulance team arrived.
Hayley Murdoch, 29, and Sheila Dixon, 71, both from Carlisle, died following the collision at Newby Cross in 2016.
Dr Laura Duffy called Logan, who made a full recovery, a "ray of sunshine".
Logan suffered an "internal decapitation", which is a separation of the spinal column from the base of the skull, as well as brain injuries, a punctured lung and a broken collar bone.
Dr Duffy said with the injuries he sustained, he was "unlikely to survive".
The young boy was resuscitated at the roadside before being put into a medically-induced coma at the scene.
He was also given blood en route to hospital and went on to make a full recovery.
John Murdoch, Logan's father, said: "The doctor said that Logan was a very rare case.
"He said in all his 25 years as a neurosurgeon, only two other people had been brought to him alive after being 'internally decapitated'.
"One of those died, and the other was severely paralysed. He is a very lucky boy. GNAAS saved Logan's life."
Logan, his father and grandmother Karen Rooney visited the ambulance's airbase to meet Dr Laura Duffy and paramedic Colin Clark who attended the crash.


Head coach Paul Anderson says Huddersfield's run of eight defeats in their first nine Super League games feels like "Groundhog Day".

Giants led Castleford with 11 minutes remaining but lost by four points, having also slipped to a loss against Salford by two points on Monday.
Actor Bill Murray was the star of the 1993 film, where his character lives the same day over and over again.
"I feel like Bill Murray at the moment," Anderson told BBC Radio Leeds.
Recent years have seen Huddersfield emerge as a model of consistency during the regular season, with three consecutive top-four finishes including a League Leaders' Shield.
"If you go back over the last two or three months of the season, it is what it is - we gifted possession and came up with some errors," added Anderson.
"Our errors are our downfall and it robs us of energy. When you're in our position you have to build energy rather than taking it away from ourselves."
Anderson succeeded Nathan Brown at the Giants, after the Australian took up his St Helens contract early, and delivered silverware in his first season in charge.
But the former Saints, Leeds and Bradford prop accepts his position is not guaranteed with the club bottom of the table.
"Of course I feel pressure, this is not a position I'm proud of," he said.
"We've been a very consistent winning team over the past few years and this is hurting. It's hurting me as much as anyone and I know it's hurting the players.
"Pressure is pressure. You feel it every day as head coach."


The Safe Harbour ruling made on Tuesday has potentially big implications for some giants of Silicon Valley when it comes to how they look after our private data.

Safe Harbour was designed as a "streamlined and cost-effective" way for US firms to get data from Europe without breaking its rules.
Companies in the US were able to self-certify that they had put the appropriate data privacy measures in place.
In the wake of the Snowden allegations, the top European court has ruled that Safe Harbour is invalid.
The White House has expressed disappointment that a "critical" agreement had been struck down because of "incorrect assumptions about data privacy protections in the United States".
But the question is - what's changed?
I've spent the day canvassing the views of firms in Silicon Valley. Most didn't want to talk on the record and were taking a wait-and-see approach as to what happens next.
Of those that did have something to say, here's a selection.
Microsoft provides cloud services - online storage - for many businesses around the world. In a blog post, the company said: "For Microsoft's enterprise cloud customers, we believe the clear answer is that yes they can continue to transfer data by relying on additional steps and legal safeguards we have put in place."
Talking about its own services, such as Hotmail, the company said: "We also don't believe today's ruling has a significant impact on our consumer services. Our terms of use make clear that to provide these services, we transfer data between users, which occurs for example, when one user sends email or other online content to another user."
But it called for renegotiation of Safe Harbour to be swift.
"Many European nations are currently considering amendments to their surveillance laws. Rather than just expand governments' surveillance authority as some are seeking to do, the focus should be on striking the right balance between security and privacy without sacrificing one for the other."
The Internet Association represents some of the biggest players in Silicon Valley and beyond, including Twitter, Google, Facebook, Netflix and Uber.
The association's president Michael Beckerman said in a statement that while bigger firms have back-up agreements in place to transfer data, it's small US firms that could struggle.
"In light of this far reaching European Court of Justice ruling, the Internet Association calls on the US and EU to join forces to implement a revised Safe Harbour framework and to issue interim guidance to stakeholders pending this implementation."
Talks between the US and EU about an updated agreement - dubbed Safe Harbour 2.0 - have been ongoing for around two years, but could be sped up by these recent developments.
Salesforce, which offers customer relationship management software (everything from sales to marketing to customer analytics), said it was making changes to its service in the wake of the ruling.
"Salesforce is immediately making available a data processing addendum that incorporates the European Commission's standard contractual clauses, commonly referred to as 'model clauses'."
The travel start-up, which allows people to rent out their rooms and properties, told the BBC it wasn't particularly fussed: "Like other European companies, Airbnb relies on other safe and legal mechanisms for essential data transfers.
"This ruling does not have a significant impact on us."
Facebook too said it was unaffected practically by the ruling, but urged sensible reforms.
"Facebook, like many thousands of European companies, relies on a number of the methods prescribed by EU law to legally transfer data to the US from Europe, aside from Safe Harbour," said the social network in a statement.
"It is imperative that EU and US governments ensure that they continue to provide reliable methods for lawful data transfers and resolve any issues relating to national security."
Online storage provider Box told the BBC it wasn't affected as it had other measures in place.
"Box does not anticipate any impact based on today's ruling by the European Court of Justice (EJC) regarding the EU-US Safe Harbor Framework," it told the BBC.
"In anticipation of the ruling, we've undertaken efforts to adhere to the alternative methods for meeting the 'adequate protection' requirements."
Github, a site where programmers share source code, is having to take action to make sure it is compliant in the wake of the ruling.
"GitHub is committed to ensuring that our community of 11 million developers all over the world can collaborate together on software, with confidence that their privacy is protected," the site told the BBC in an email.
"We will take the necessary steps to ensure that our European users can continue to build great things on GitHub."
Autodesk is a company with huge reach - it develops systems for 3D design, education, engineering and entertainment. Much of it is handled in the cloud.
"Autodesk is currently evaluating the impact to our business of the European Court of Justice's decision on the EU-US Safe Harbour Framework and awaits additional guidance," the firm told the BBC.
"We continue to comply with the previous Safe Harbour principles, and are committed to supporting our customers through any changes required as a result of this decision as well as protecting the privacy of our customers and employees."
Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC


The skull of a woolly rhinoceros, thought to be at least 35,000 years old, is to go on display near where it was found in Cambridgeshire.

The fossil was uncovered by a digger driver on farmland, near March, in October.
Jamie Jordan, a "self-taught palaeontologist", who runs Fossils Galore in March, said it had taken "roughly 200 man-hours" to preserve it.
It will be the "star attraction" at the shop and museum from 11 April.
Palaeontologist Professor Adrian Lister, from the Natural History Museum, said: "Woolly rhinos were herbivores with low-slung heads who roamed the plains chomping on grass.
"Most similar fossils to this date from the last ice age, about 75,000 to 35,000 years ago."
Mr Jordan believes the skull may be far older than first realised.
He said: "It was found under Devensian gravel deposits and they date back 250,000 years."
Professor Lister said: "It's not impossible that it predates the last ice age [about 75,000 to 35,000 years ago] but it would be very remarkable and very special."
Mr Jordan said the skull was covered in "horrible black" clay and had to be cleaned with small dental picks and lollipop sticks.
"It has well over 500 layers of preservation fluid - a bit like PVA glue but watered down - which seeps into the bone and preserves it from the inside out," he said.
Mr Jordan said: "We came across one extra bone, a leg bone, which showed signs of deer foot prints and cut marks.
"Man didn't really mess with a woolly rhino but we think it was scavenged after it died."


The boss of Wales' biggest health board says it is turning a corner, 100 days after it came under government control over concerns about its management.

Betsi Cadwaladr's interim chief executive admits there is still more to do with no sign special measures are to be lifted.
Simon Dean said his 100-day challenge to turn the troubled organisation around was only the start.
But the Conservatives say there is a perception that little has changed.
The board, which is responsible for delivering health services to almost 700,000 people in north Wales, had been rocked by a series of scandals.
Mr Dean, the deputy chief executive of the Welsh NHS who was put in the Betsi post by ministers, said progress was being made but there was still "a lot of work to do".
He said the 100-day plans were intended to give a focus and to make immediate improvements but "this is a job that won't end".
"I'm really keen that we're embedding this work in the way we normally do business," he told BBC Wales.
He admitted the health board had been tarnished by failings in the past but said it was too early to come to the view that little had changed.
"I can understand people need to see change before they believe it's happened but I believe it's a little early to form that judgement yet."
Mr Dean said the health board's reputation was "critical" and staff morale was still an issue which had to be dealt with if Betsi was to recruit effectively.
"We have to deal with the areas of concern and we have to promote the opportunities and excellence that already exists here is in north Wales to attract people who want to work here, live here and build their careers here."
FIVE PRIORITY AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT
Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Health Darren Millar said: "The people of north Wales are fed up with apologies and excuses for failure. Hard working staff, patients and their loved ones want to see progress and improvement."
The Welsh government will formally review the health board's status in October.
Mr Dean would not be drawn on when special measures might come to an end but said progress had to be continuous.
He called on the public to rally around and "get behind the health service" in north Wales.
"I want them to be honest, tell us as it is, celebrate the good things and tell us the things that frustrate and annoy them because if we don't know we can't deal with them.
"But overwhelmingly we need to make sure we continue to develop a service that meets the needs of the people we serve."


The architect of the process used to elect Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader last year has expressed regret that it allowed some people to "buy a vote".

About 105,000 people paid Â£3 to sign up as "registered supporters" and overwhelmingly backed Mr Corbyn.
Labour peer Lord Collins told the BBC that the system introduced in 2014 had created a "transactional relationship" between the party and some voters.
The previous electoral college system gave more power to unions and MPs.
Guide to the Labour leadership election
Former Labour general secretary Lord Collins was speaking to the BBC on the eve of another Labour leadership contest result - as Mr Corbyn defends his leadership against a challenge from Owen Smith, having lost the confidence of the bulk of his own MPs.
In Labour leadership elections before 2015, MPs, affiliated union members and party members had one third of the vote each.
But that was criticised for giving too much influence to the trade unions and was changed to a "one member one vote" system, under then leader Ed Miliband in 2014.
Lord Collins, a former Labour general secretary, led a review in 2013 which recommended opening up the leadership contest to Labour supporters in the country at large, as registered supporters.
The peer said the changes had had unforeseen consequences.
"A lot of things were untested," he said.
"My biggest disappointment is that the registered supporter became a transactional relationship which I thought was really wrong.
"A transactional relationship which is, well, "buy a vote" - "buy a vote for the leader of the Labour party" when in fact it was about building a relationship over time."
Deputy leader Tom Watson has led calls for a rethink of the process, saying the involvement of registered supporters had been "rushed and unpopular".
Lord Collins said Mr Watson had been right to call for a greater role for MPs in future leadership elections.
"Being a member of the Labour Party isn't about paying money and getting a vote.
"Being a member of the Labour Party is about shared values and wanting to change society and wanting to develop society."
Asked whether he felt regret over any of his reforms, Lord Collins said "of course", before adding that the circumstances the party found itself in at the time were very difficult and he was proud his report had brought people together.
The Labour peer said a system in which a leader could remain in place with the support of only 20% of his MPs was "not sustainable".
He said: "That's not going to change by whoever wins on Saturday - that's an issue we've got to continue to address."
The current leadership contest, the result of which will be announced on Saturday, has used the same rules.
This time around, however, those wanting a one-off vote in the contest between Jeremy Corbyn and Owen Smith had to pay Â£25. It is thought that 129,000 applications were accepted following a vetting process.
Supporters of the new rules say they have massively increased the Labour Party's membership and wider support base. The latest official figures, from August, showed the party has 515,000 members although reports have suggested it has now grown to about 550,000.
Mr Corbyn has said there is a "thirst for democracy" in the party and the country and the widest number of people should be allowed a say in the election of a leader.


A police investigation is under way after the discovery of a woman's body in the Adamsdown area of Cardiff.

The body was found at around 14:00 GMT on Thursday in a property on Anderson Place.
South Wales Police said the body had not been formally identified, but contact had been made with relatives of a woman linked to the address.
The death is being treated as unexplained but is not thought to be suspicious.


Cardiff City manager Paul Trollope feels the Bluebirds still need "a few" new players before the transfer window closes on Wednesday night.

Cardiff are looking at goalkeeper cover for David Marshall, a replacement for defender Fabio, who joined Premier League side Middlesbrough and are also seeking striker reinforcements.
''There are two or three positions we are looking for," Trollope explained.
"We are working really, really hard to try and secure what we want."
Trollope is anxious to hold on to highly rated keeper Marshall and midfielder Aron Gunnarsson, who featured in Iceland's memorable quarter final berth at Euro 2016.
Both players have linked with moves away from Cardiff City Stadium during the summer.
However the Cardiff boss is also realistic as he enters the last few days of transfer activity and admits every player has their price.
''It's normal practice when you come to the end of a transfer window. I have been here for a few now, with David and a number of other players to be honest. We have some good players, players who would be attractive to other teams," he told BBC Wales Sport.
''You are not going to stop speculation, stop things being written or spoken about.
''I think any manager or any coach wants to keep his best players.
"But also I think any coach will tell you all players have their value, whether they are at the top of the league or in League Two.''


A 42-year-old tipper lorry driver has died following a collision on the A81 in Stirlingshire.

The incident happened about 250m north of the Ballat Crossroads at about 07:30.
The A81 was closed between Ward Toll and Ballat Crossroads for several hours but later reopened.
Police said they were keen to trace the driver of a medium-sized black vehicle that was seen in the area at the time.


Phone lines are to be installed in bedrooms for inmates at a young offenders' unit at the centre of abuse allegations.

Youngsters at the G4S-run Medway Secure Training Centre, Rochester, will each have access to a room phone and 20 minutes of credit per day.
They are being fitted to help inmates build relationships and call services like the Samaritans and ChildLine.
A BBC Panorama investigation uncovered mistreatment claims in January.
Currently, an inmate has to wait for a member of staff to bring a phone to their room who then stays with them while they make the call.
Unify Business Solutions said the system would be "secure" with all numbers pre-checked to prevent abuse.
In February, G4S said it was planning to sell its children's services business including the two secure units at Oakhill, Buckinghamshire, and Medway, Kent.
The BBC investigation in January featured undercover footage showing staff mistreating and abusing inmates, and boasting about using inappropriate techniques to restrain youngsters.
The abuse claims related to 10 boys. Five men were arrested by Kent Police on suspicion of either child neglect or assault and bailed until April.
G4S sacked five members of staff. Three others are currently suspended. The director of the unit, Ralph Marchant, also stepped down at the end of January.


Hibernian stayed on course to retain the Scottish Cup as they fought off the challenge of 10-man Ayr United.

John McGinn curled superbly past goalkeeper Greg Fleming from the edge of the penalty box after seven minutes.
Jason Cummings added a second from the penalty spot after Daryll Meggatt downed Martin Boyle.
Craig McGuffie fired a superb reply, but Ayr's chances were hindered when Scott McKenna was sent off before the break and James Keatings added a third.
It was Hibs' eighth win in 10 Scottish Cup meetings with Ayr but their first in three against Ian McCall's side this season after a draw and defeat in the Championship.
And it takes the Edinburgh outfit into the semi-finals for the third year running - their fifth in six seasons.
This was a completely different Hibs performance from three days ago against St Mirren, when it was lacklustre from the Leith men.
The fluency of passing from the hosts was manifested in the displays put in by John McGinn, Martin Boyle and Andrew Shinnie, who carved their way through Ayr's rear-guard on a regular basis in the first half.
McGinn had lost the brotherly battle on Wednesday against his sibling at the Buddies - Stephen McGinn - but was determined to make up for it back on home turf.
The opening goal started and finished with his good work. Initially, McGinn's skill and back-post cross to Holt was well cleared by Daryll Meggatt, but that clearance ended up finding its way back to McGinn.
From the right side of the box, the Scotland midfielder curled a brilliant effort past visiting goalkeeper Greg Fleming.
The 22-year-old, capped twice, maintained his energetic performance throughout and, on a later surge, the desire he showed to nick the ball beyond Ayr's McKenna drew a late, high, heavy challenge for which the on-loan Aberdeen defender could have no complaints about receiving a red card.
Cummings had much more life about him than was on offer in Paisley too and his 19th goal of the season was calmly despatched - straight as a die - from the spot after Meggatt felled Boyle.
Ayr manager Iain McCall raves about McGuffie and the 19-year-old showed on a bigger stage just why.
It was the Troon youngster's cross that created the winner for Mick Wardrope in the previous round against Clyde.
At Easter Road, McGuffie cranked things up another three of four notches.
As Ayr composed themselves after that early double whammy, Gary Harkins knocked the ball down for McGuffie, who fired a sumptuous half volley into the far top corner from 25 yards for what could be one of the goals of the season.
The winger is certainly now on a lot more people's radar, that's for sure.
Hibs fans might take a little bit longer to be convinced of Efe Ambrose's sometimes adventurous defending, but the Easter Road side's defence of the Scottish Cup is admirable so far.
The precise Keatings header - that went in off the underside of the crossbar from David Gray's cross - assured the hosts of their place in the semi-finals.
Indeed, Holt almost made it four with another header that was cleared off the line by former Hearts defender Conrad Balatoni.
After waiting 114 years to lift the coveted trophy last year, Hibs might well keep it for a second successive year. They might even play Rangers in the final again.
Hibernian head coach Neil Lennon: "It was an emphatic performance. We could've won by a lot more. I'm very proud and very excited to be taking Hibs to Hampden again.
"But I want to put this out to the fans and players: the most important thing is promotion. Winning the cup last year was massive, but promotion is the be-all and end-all as far as we're concerned.
"We've got the potential to be a very good club - we've got to earn the right to get out of the division, and our last four league games have been below par for some reason. Our two cup games have been fantastic, so we need to address it, and address it quickly."
Ayr United manager Ian McCall: "I'm very proud of the players, supporters and our club. We had an absolute mountain to climb - young McGuffie had a goal of the season contender - but the sending off completely changes everything. We had to give Hibs a lot of the ball.
"In the second half, I didn't think they troubled us that much, but we didn't look a threat to equalise.
"Hibs deserved to win, but there are moments in the match that went against us today. The biggest one was going down to 10 men.
"They gave their all, but ultimately, we're out the cup and we're gutted about that."
Match ends, Hibernian 3, Ayr United 1.
Second Half ends, Hibernian 3, Ayr United 1.
Foul by James Keatings (Hibernian).
Daryll Meggatt (Ayr United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Brian Graham (Hibernian).
Conrad Balatoni (Ayr United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Corner,  Hibernian. Conceded by Greg Fleming.
Attempt saved. James Keatings (Hibernian) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Lewis Stevenson (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Gary Harkins (Ayr United).
Substitution, Hibernian. Brian Graham replaces Grant Holt.
Attempt missed. James Keatings (Hibernian) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
Marvin Bartley (Hibernian) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Brian Gilmour (Ayr United).
Substitution, Hibernian. Fraser Fyvie replaces Marvin Bartley.
Attempt saved. James Keatings (Hibernian) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Foul by Efe Ambrose (Hibernian).
Gary Harkins (Ayr United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt blocked. Grant Holt (Hibernian) header from the centre of the box is blocked.
Goal!  Hibernian 3, Ayr United 1. James Keatings (Hibernian) header from the centre of the box to the top right corner. Assisted by David Gray.
Substitution, Hibernian. James Keatings replaces Jason Cummings.
Substitution, Ayr United. Michael Wardrope replaces Craig McGuffie.
Patrick Boyle (Ayr United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Martin Boyle (Hibernian).
Corner,  Hibernian. Conceded by Daryll Meggatt.
Attempt saved. Grant Holt (Hibernian) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Attempt missed. Andrew Shinnie (Hibernian) right footed shot from outside the box is too high from a direct free kick.
Foul by Conrad Balatoni (Ayr United).
Grant Holt (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Ayr United. Michael Rose replaces Ross Docherty.
Substitution, Ayr United. Alan Forrest replaces Craig Moore.
Attempt missed. John McGinn (Hibernian) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
Patrick Boyle (Ayr United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Grant Holt (Hibernian).
Corner,  Hibernian. Conceded by Patrick Boyle.
Ross Docherty (Ayr United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Grant Holt (Hibernian).
Attempt missed. Jason Cummings (Hibernian) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
Corner,  Hibernian. Conceded by Daryll Meggatt.
Conrad Balatoni (Ayr United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.


Nigel Owens will referee Saturday's World Cup final after being selected by tournament organisers World Rugby.

The 44-year-old will be the second Welshman to take charge of a final following Derek Bevan, who was in charge in 1991 when Australia edged England, also at Twickenham.
Owens said on social media that he was "truly humbled and honoured".
New Zealand beat South Africa 20-18 on Saturday and face Australia, who overcame Argentina 29-15 on Sunday.
The two southern hemisphere rivals have never faced each other in the final.
England's Ed Morrison, at the 1995 final between South Africa and New Zealand, and Irishman Alain Rolland, who officiated the England versus South Africa 2007 final, are the other northern hemisphere officials to have refereed rugby union's showpiece event.
New Zealand selector Grant Fox had already suggested that Owens would be in charge at Twickenham on 31 October.
Former All Blacks fly-half Fox told New Zealand radio station Newstalk ZB: "We knew... that he had that job should we get the opportunity to play in that game [the final].
"Nigel is clearly the best referee in the world - he's demonstrated that.
"One of the key things he does, apart from communicating incredibly well with players, is that he lets the breakdown breathe, and that is really important.
"If you want to get a good contest and spectacle, you have got to let the breakdown breathe a little bit, and he is really, really good at that."
Owens is the subject of a BBC Wales television programme to be shown on Monday.
In it the Welshman says the speed of the game and instant replays in stadiums add to the scrutiny on officials.
"The game has gone quicker, so your decision making has to be even better and quicker," Owens said.
"The pressure on you as a referee is massive. You have less time to make your decision in that split-second.
"And in every stadium now there is a big screen, every decision you make is highlighted now. There are more cameras at the games now, there are more players viewing the game and watching it at home.
"When you look at that screen and then you make the wrong decision there is no excuses, people will not forgive you."
The programme was recorded before the World Cup, but provides an insight into the controversy surrounding fellow referee Craig Joubert during the tournament.
The South African awarded Australia the penalty which clinched a 35-34 victory over Scotland in the quarter-final.
Replays suggested Joubert made a mistake and World Rugby - the sport's governing body - said the referee's decision was incorrect.
World Rugby chief executive Brett Gosper has also defended Joubert: "Craig Joubert is a superb referee and has been for a long time and he's a good man.
"There will be reasons for whatever Craig did. We do a full review of the referees post-game, and that process is underway at the moment."
England's Wayne Barnes has also been criticised for his decision to sin-bin Argentina lock Tomas Lavanini for a clumsy low tackle on Australia's Israel Folau during the Wallabies' semi-final win.
Adam Ashley-Cooper's match-securing hat-trick try came from a pass that television pictures suggested could have been forward, but no replay was called for by the match officials.
Owens believes the best referees are the ones who can strike a balance between applying the laws of the game and allowing matches to flow.
"You've got to get the balance right in between and that is what sets, I think, the referees who make it to the top and stay there," he said.
"What sets them apart is the ability to get that balance of knowing when to blow the whistle and probably more importantly knowing when not to blow the whistle.
"Anybody can go out on the field and blow a whistle - referee the laws of the game and blow a whistle - but I'm afraid if you're going to do that you're not going to have a game."
In the programme, Owens also discusses coming out as gay and a failed suicide attempt when he was 19 years old.
In 2007, Owens came out live on a Welsh-language television programme hosted by former Wales captain Jonathan Davies.
A year later Owens published an autobiography in Welsh in which he revealed that he made a suicide attempt while suffering from depression.
He also suffered from bulimia and became addicted to steroids during that period of his life.
"My dirty linen I guess from those dark times is out there in the public domain... and everybody knows these personal things makes it okay really because it's helping people," he said.
Nigel Owens - True to Myself, is on BBC One Wales at 22:35 GMT on Monday, 26 October and available afterwards on the iPlayer.


Russia has extended its list of countries subject to a food import ban in retaliation for Western sanctions over the Ukraine crisis.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said the ban would now apply to Iceland, Liechtenstein, Albania and Montenegro.
He said Ukraine would be added in 2016 if an economic agreement between Kiev and the European Union came into force.
The bulldozing of tonnes of Western-produced cheese and other foodstuffs has angered anti-poverty campaigners.
The country began destroying banned produce earlier this month, steamrollering fruit and burning boxes of bacon. Critics say it should be used to feed the poor and hungry.
The move comes after the EU and US introduced sanctions over Russia's annexation of Crimea and actions in eastern Ukraine.
Certain products from EU countries as well as Australia, Canada, Norway and the US were banned in August last year.
Speaking at a cabinet of ministers on Thursday, the PM said Iceland, Liechtenstein, Albania and Montenegro would also now be affected because they had joined EU sanctions against Russia.
"Joining the sanctions is a conscious choice which means readiness for retaliatory measures from our part, which have been adopted," Mr Medvedev said in comments broadcast on state-owned channel Rossiya 24.
The ban includes meat, fish, dairy products, fruit and vegetables.
Mr Medvedev said on Wednesday that the counter-sanctions had given domestic agriculture a significant boost and had not caused shortages, according to Rossiya 24.
Russian authorities have also started burning Dutch flowers, saying they pose a safety risk because they may be infected with pests.
But critics say Russia wants to take revenge on the Netherlands over its handling of the investigation into the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over rebel-held eastern Ukraine last year.
In a rare move against President Vladimir Putin, Russia's Communist Party announced on Thursday it had submitted a bill to parliament calling for smuggled Western food to be given to the needy instead of being destroyed.
The Kremlin says food cannot be given away because it could be unsafe.


Patients with learning disabilities will be given help when they need hospital care from a new service.

The Learning Disabilities Liaison Service will flag up people requiring support when admitted to hospital in the Bridgend and Swansea areas.
It has been created with the family of Paul Ridd, who had learning disabilities and who died at Morriston Hospital after receiving poor care.
His sister said the service - launched on Wednesday - was his "legacy".
An inquest heard 53-year-old Mr Ridd, from Baglan, Port Talbot, died from natural causes contributed to by neglect in 2009.
The hearing was told his nursing care was substantially below the expected standard.
Since then his sister and brother, Jayne Nicholls and Jonathan Ridd, have fought to ensure care standards are raised for patients with learning disabilities - with the new service covering all hospitals in the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board area.
It will ensure a person's learning disability is flagged up on their medical notes, while special stickers will be put on their beds to alert staff.
Three liaison nurses will also be on hand to support patients and awareness training will also be given to NHS staff.
"I was amazed that when Paul died in 2009 there was nothing like this already in place - it's just common sense," said Mrs Nicholls.
She said simple steps could be taken to help people with learning disabilities in hospital - and that would help stop delays which often occurred when staff had to unexpectedly deal with a patient they did not know needed additional support.
"It's things like finding out what would make a person feel comfortable - perhaps they like their bedding from home or they would prefer a family member to feed them," she added.
"Sometimes it's a case of taking them to hospital for a visit before they need to go in so they get used to it.
"It's about forward planning - people with learning disabilities are so complex.
"If you make the healthcare experience better they won't be scared and panicked and that will also help the professionals do their jobs properly."
Consultant nurse Christopher Griffiths, who is leading the service, said the liaison nurses would be on hand to prepare patients for admission to hospital as well as supporting them during their time on the ward and after they return home.


A ship's captain has appeared in court accused of being drunk while in charge of a container vessel in Belfast.

Eugenijus Tulauskas, 43, from Lithuania, was arrested by Harbour Police on Sunday.
The captain faces a charge of having excess alcohol while on duty as a professional master of a ship.
No further details of the alleged offence were disclosed at Belfast Magistrates' Court. He is to be granted bail when accommodation can be found.
Mr Tulauskas must surrender all travel documents and report daily to police as part of the bail conditions. An exclusion zone has also been drawn up to stop him boarding the ship again.
The court heard the company that owns the vessel intends to fly in another captain to take over the ship.
Mr Tulauskas is next due to appear in court on 10 October.


A memorial in the middle of a road junction near Stonehenge is being moved to make way for work to upgrade the junction.

The Grade-II listed Airman's Cross at Airman's Corner is being removed as a roundabout is built to manage traffic diverted by the closure of the A344.
The memorial will then be re-sited in the grounds of the new Stonehenge visitor centre soon to be built nearby.
Work starts next month and the centre is expected to open in Autumn 2013.
English Heritage's Loraine Knowles, said: "We are glad that Airman's Cross will have a safer permanent home at the new visitor centre where many more people will be able to get close to it in future and learn about this aspect of local history.
The memorial commemorates the site of an early military aviation accident on 5th July 1912, in which Capt Eustace Loraine and his passenger Staff Sgt Richard Wilson became the first members of the newly formed Royal Flying Corps to die while on duty.
Wiltshire Council granted Listed Building Consent for the relocation of the memorial, in January 2010.
It is being put into safe storage at Perham Down Barracks on Monday.
The Royal Engineers, based at Tidworth, will be working closely with the project's archaeological contractor, Wessex Archaeology, to protect the cross during the move.