Mayweather vs Pacquiao PPV numbers projected over 5 million buys

MANILA, Philippines – While many people are left feeling unfulfilled by the Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather Jr fight, the “Fight of the Century” is expected to smash all previous pay-per-view records.

Estimates have the number of units sold at 5.63 million, according to Yahoo’s Kevin Iole, with the figure possibly going higher. Satellite and phone companies combined to sell 2.25  million without cable being factored in. That figure alone would make the fight the second-highest selling PPV of all time, after the Mayweather vs Oscar de la Hoya fight in 2007, which sold 2.48 million. 

The Mayweather vs Pacquiao fight, which Mayweather won by unanimous decision on May 2 in Las Vegas, sold for a record price of $89.95 ($99.95 for high definition) in the United States, which was $25 more than the previous record set by Mayweather vs Saul Alvarez in 2013.

The New York Times reports that 30%-40% of the PPV revenue will go to the satellite/phone/cable companies, then 7.5% of the remainder is split by HBO and Showtime, which teamed up to broadcast the fight. Much of the remainder is then split between Pacquiao and Mayweather 60%-40% in Mayweather’s favor.

After they split up approximately $140 million in other revenues, Business Insider estimates that Mayweather could make $250 million to $275 million, while Pacquiao may make $170 million to $190 million.

– Rappler.com