It was billed as the Fight of the Century and naturally therefore attracted huge financial investment. Join Luxisto as we look at ten fascinating fiscal facts behind the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao luxury boxing fight.
- Floyd Mayweather is the highest paid sportsman in the world having earned more than $600 million in total as a professional boxer following the luxury boxing bout with Manny Pacquiao. Meanwhile, his Thai opponent has amassed a fortune approaching $450 million from his 65 fights. Only three of the world’s 25 best-paid sportsmen in 2014 were boxers.
- The luxury boxing fight was worth over $300 million in total and will be split 60/40 in favour of Mayweather following an agreement between the two fighters. The 38-year-old is set to make a minimum of $179,808,511 while Pacquiao is expected to make $119,872,340.
- Mayweather earned $4,994,681 per minute during the 12 rounds of action, with Pacquiao earning $3,329,787 per minute. By the end of the first round, Mayweather had already amassed $14,984,043, nearly $5 million more than Pacquiao’s sum of $9,989,362.
- Mayweather earned more from his fight against Pacquiao than businesses such as GoPro, Lexmark, Morningstar and international supermarket chain SPAR and many others make in an entire year.
- The WBC belt the two boxers will be competing for is worth $1 million and is encrusted with emeralds.
- The luxury boxing spectacle smashed pay-per-view records making a reported $300 million in revenue, the most of any sporting event in history and almost double the previous record also set by Mayweather at $152m for his fight against Saul Alvarez in 2013.
- Standard charges for bars in America to broadcast the luxury boxing fight were set at $30 per person multiplied by the bar’s maximum capacity. For example a bar with 300 people had to pay $9,000 to show the fight.
- Ticket sales at the 16,000-capacity MGM Grand Arena registered $74m, more than triple the previous record for a sporting event and significantly more than the 70,000 seater Super Bowl.
- Tickets on the resale market were changing hands at up to $351,000 per seat. Tickets for a ringside seat were originally sold at $250,000. The price of the cheapest seat was $1,500.
- ESPN reported that rooms at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino were being rented for $1,600.
