The final numbers for the Mayweather vs. McGregor PPV have been released.
It was quite clear from the start that the August pay-per-view pitting boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor was a huge moneymaker for everyone involved. But the final PPV buyrate was something that has been bandied about for a while.
UFC president Dana White assured everyone that the number broke the PPV all-time record held by Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao in 2015, and said it did 6.7 million globally (this officially released number is just for North America). Showtime exec Stephen Espinoza played it a little closer to the vest, saying he wasn’t sure but it looked like it could break the record.
Now we know. According to a press release by Showtime, who aired the fight, the buyrate was 4.3 million. That comes up a bit short of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, which did 4.6 million.
Showtime also stated that the event brought in over 600 million dollars, as did May-Pac. The total gate was 55,414,865.79, good for second all-time in Nevada behind – you guessed it, Floyd vs. Manny, which did $72,198,500.
The PPV numbers counted regular PPV orders in the US and Canada, along with orders through Showtime’s app and UFC.tv. Many people had issues ordering through UFC.tv on fight night, and which that probably didn’t make a massive difference, it was a hindrance at the time.