Joseph Sykes | Assistant Sports Editor
Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are arguably the two best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, so it’s fitting that this weekend’s bout between the boxing megastars is already one of the most hyped events in the history of the sport. Of course, with all that hype comes money, and despite who wins or loses this Saturday night, both fighters are on the verge of earning some lofty payouts.
Even before the fight was announced on Feb. 21, Mayweather-Pacquiao is expected to be the highest grossing boxing match ever. So far, that holds true. In fact, the estimated purse (total earnings for both boxers) is reported to reach upwards of $300 million, according to BusinessInsider.com.
That’s a lot of cash, but where exactly does it all come from? Let’s break it down.
Pay-per-view sales will be the leading revenue generator as expected. Business Insider reports that the fight will be distributed to at least three million homes this weekend through a joint pay-per-view broadcast by HBO and Showtime. It will cost viewers a pretty penny at $89.95 ($99.95 for HD) a pop. The gross estimates for the fight via pay-per-view are over $300 million, which will make it the richest pay-per-view fight of all time. Of that $300 million, 55 to 65 percent will go directly to the fighters, while the rest will go to the cable companies, satellite providers and HBO/Showtime.
Mayweather-Pacquiao isn’t just the richest boxing match ever because it set the pay-per-view record. The bout will set the live gate (total revenue generated from ticket sales) record as well at $70 million, according to The New York Daily News.
While most of the tickets are controlled by the promoters, fighters, the MGM Grand and HBO/Showtime, there are tickets, though very few, available to the public. Of course, if you are looking to attend the fight, which will be held at the MGM Grand (capacity: 16,000) in Las Vegas, be ready to fork over some serious green. The cheapest remaining tickets on Stubhub.com are selling at prices over $4,000, and those are just the nosebleeds. For a spot ringside, prices exceed $350,000.
Other areas of revenue will come from international broadcast sales, closed circuit broadcasts at places like bars and restaurants, sponsorships and merchandise sales. In total, Business Insider expects the fight to generate $61 million from these “minor” outlets.
While both fighters are used to extravagant duals, Mayweather has a knack for competing in some of the highest-paying matchups in history, thus giving him the nickname “Money”. In 2007, Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya raked in $136 million, which broke the 2002 Mike Tyson -Lennox Lewis $122 million match, the richest ever. Just six years later in 2013, Mayweather fought Saul Alvarez to break his own record after generating $150 million.
ESPN reported on April 17 that the 36-year-old Pacquiao (57-5-2) and 38-year-old Mayweather (47-0) have agreed to a 60/40 split of the purse in favor of Mayweather. While the total amount of the purse won’t be known until after the fight, each fighter will earn over $100 million no matter who wins, proving that Pacquiao-Mayweather isn’t just a story of goliath vs. goliath, but a story of the rich getting richer.
