Mayweather vs. Pacquiao gate expected to reach record high
Promoter Bob Arum says the gate of the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao fight will reach a record-breaking $74 million.
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We've known for a while now that the fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao is going to be a record-breaking event in terms of money. Now, we've got some rather lofty numbers behind that assertion.
As reported by ESPN's Dan Rafael, who spoke with promoter Bob Arum, the fight's gate is expected to reach $74 million.
This is mind-blowing: Arum said they've configured MGM for #MayweatherPacquiao & gate will now be - hold on to your hat - about $74M! Whoa!
— Dan Rafael (@danrafaelespn) March 23, 2015
A boxing match's gate is determined by the amount of money it makes from people who actually attend the fight. And in case you were wondering, a $74 million gate would be a new record, easily shattering the previous record of $20,003,150 set by Mayweather's fight against Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in 2013.
The previous all-time gate record is a hair over $20M. And now #MayweatherPacquiao will absolutely destroy it by more than 3 1/2 times.
— Dan Rafael (@danrafaelespn) March 23, 2015
Tickets are expected to range from $1,500 to $7,500 at face value. Even celebrities will have a hard time securing free tickets to this event, unlike other fights.
"The price is such that ordinary people can't afford it," Arum said a couple weeks ago, via NPR.org. "But you got to realize, the same thing happens in the Super Bowl. It's just that boxing hasn't had that type of exposure."
According to that same NPR article, the total money earned between the two fighters is expected to reach at least $200 million, with Mayweather taking 60 percent of that total figure and Pacquiao receiving the other 40 percent.
And now, Rafael believes the fight has a chance to generate more than $500 million of revenue.
Based on all forms of revenue coming in #MayweatherPacquiao is not only a lock to generate more than $400M it could easily surpass $500M.
— Dan Rafael (@danrafaelespn) March 23, 2015
So, while May 2 will be known as the Fight of the Century for boxing fans, for Mayweather, Pacquiao, and everyone else involved in making the fight finally happen, it'll also be something else -- quite the payday.
