Despite a myriad of technical problems delivering PPV streams for Conor McGregor’s boxing match with Floyd Mayweather Jr., it sounds like the contest is on track to become the largest selling PPV worldwide in history. During the recording of Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series, the UFC president let slip some figures for the boxing spectacle’s buyrate.
6.5 million figures to be precise.
Video of the exchange was posted by Sports Illustrated’s Mike Dyce on Instagram.
As reported by Dave Meltzer of MMA Fighting, those would almost certainly be worldwide numbers, if accurate. And it could mean that, as far as the US market is concerned, the PPV may still have under-performed the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight in 2015 – which reportedly did 4.6 million buys in North America, racking up 5.5 million worldwide. But, it would make Mayweather vs. McGregor the most streamed iPPV of all time.
The key difference between North American and worldwide numbers is all down to money in the fighters’ pockets. The North American PPV sold for $99, but as low as $20-30 in other parts of the world (and even on free TV).
Either way, even after the revenue split between broadcasters and promoters (from which the fighters will get their share), Mayweather and McGregor both stand to make a pile of money off the event’s seemingly massive sales success.
