The heavyweight clash fell far short of record-breaking figures. Professional boxing is currently enjoying a very prosperous period, with the influx of Saudi Arabian investors greatly benefiting the industry. On May 18, Riyadh hosted a grand tournament, Ring of Fire, which featured the historic bout between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury to determine the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. The fight attracted a massive audience, lasting all 12 rounds and ending with a split decision in favor of Usyk. However, statistically, the fight was far from record-breaking. You can place bets and test your luck by starting the Pin-Up oyunu, offering a wide selection of sporting events and the best odds daily.
Box office disappointment
Initially, it seemed that the fight would be historic in every aspect, particularly in terms of profitability for the organizers. The key metric is the number of sold pay-per-view (PPV) broadcasts. Immediately after the tournament, it became clear that the numbers were far below expectations. The Daily Mail, citing a Yield Sec study, reported that the organizers lost over $120 million due to pirated broadcasts, setting an unfortunate record. At least 20 million viewers watched the fight illegally.
Recently, statistics on sold PPV broadcasts were released, and the figures are frankly disappointing. If the numbers are accurate, the organizers managed to sell only 1.5 million PPVs, most of which were in the UK. Fury’s compatriots tried to support him as much as possible. Ultimately, $50 million was earned from PPV sales. These figures seem to fall far short of the expectations set by the organizers of the grand event.
Firstly, in the history of professional boxing, the fight ranked only fifth in terms of PPV sales, trailing significantly behind the record-holder. The fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao set the record with 4.4 million PPV sales, generating $410 million. Despite the fight itself being far from exemplary in terms of content, people eagerly bought into the “hype,” generating enormous profits for the organizers. Record sales were achieved not only for PPVs but also for tickets, with 16,500 tickets sold for a total of $73 million (the previous record was $20 million).
The Usyk-Fury fight couldn’t compete with the most successful UFC bouts
Secondly, professional boxing’s pride might be bruised by the fact that it failed to surpass mixed martial arts figures. In the UFC, five fights exceeded Usyk-Fury in PPV sales, with Conor McGregor contributing four of the top five. The record-holder drew 2.4 million PPVs in the notorious fight between McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov. The gap between the Usyk-Fury fight and these figures is catastrophic, despite the Gypsy King’s best efforts to generate interest.
Of course, the high number of pirated broadcasts is a significant reason for the low PPV sales, but it seems not to be the only factor. It will be interesting to see how much the situation changes for the rematch.
Photo credit: instagram.com/usykaa
