Preliminary estimates from Showtime have the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Conor McGregor fight "drawing more than 4.5 million buys and could end up closer to 5 million in North America when final numbers are available" later this week, according to Joe Flint of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. The current "record is 4.6 million buys" for the Mayweather's '15 fight against Manny Pacquiao. Showtime Sports Exec VP & GM Stephen Espinoza said, "We’re either going to break the record or come very close. Even if we don’t, we consider this event to be a massive financial success." Flint noted the PPV revenue, which is "expected to top" $450M and could reach close to $500M, is "divided between the distributors, Showtime and the fighters." The distributions will get a percentage of PPV revenue that "may be closer to 40%" than the typical 50% a fight with high interest would receive. The "cut for the fighters comes out of Showtime's end" (WSJ.com, 9/1).
PUNCH DRUNK LOVE: In L.A., Lance Pugmire notes AEG President & CEO Dan Beckerman is "positioned better than anyone else to stand as boxing's much-needed middleman." AEG between Aug. 5-Oct. 14 will "stage five boxing cards featuring a slew of the world’s top boxers." The promoters he has dealt with include Top Rank Chair Bob Arum, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya, Super Series Chair Richard Schaefer, Tom Brown, PBC Founder Al Haymon, K2 Promotions Managing Dir Tom Loeffler and UFC President Dana White. Beckerman: "I’m glad I have a great relationship with all of them, and I think it’s important that they know what they have in their back pocket with me. That enables me to have deeper conversations." Beckerman’s reach has "helped bring five of boxing’s top 10 pound-for-pound fighters to the Southland and Las Vegas during this window, while also landing AEG’s richest live gate yet" for Mayweather-McGregor. Beckerman added, "We’re bullish on boxing and UFC. We see it in our venues all over the world, how both are performing extremely well, and now we’re seeing it in this perfect storm in this part of the country" (L.A. TIMES, 9/5).
