Boxing Fans Settle For Lucrative Exhibitions, Not Classic Boxing Ring Matches
By Cassandra Cousineau for LVSportsBiz.com
Let’s talk boxing business. The old guard and purists love classic matchups. Those matchups take a long time, if ever, to materialize in the ring. Seriously, how long can fans flash credit cards in the face of promoters, ready to spend to see meaningful matchups in these divisions.
In regards to Errol Spence vs Terence Crawford, Crawford has called for this fight, and his promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank has said he wants this fight. Instead, we’re left with a poster featuring Errol Spence as the best welterweight in PBC. It has to be said like that because Terence Crawford is nowhere to be mentioned. How silly is that?
Meanwhile, YouTubers are selling gobs of PPV. The KSI vs Logan Paul Pre-fight promo videos are trending over 63 million views, 1.3 million pay-per-view buys worldwide, and the KSI vs Logan Paul YouTube promo page was responsible for 800k buys. That’s the largest non-pro boxing event of all time.
That brings us to today’s announcement of another boxing exhibition. Even though Floyd Mayweather is retired, he is the sport’s biggest name and brand. When Floyd speaks, continents and fans listen. The 150-pound, 50-0 Mayweather said he’s fighting the 200-pound, 0-1 Paul in an exhibition on Feb. 20.
Enter Triller with Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones before a fan-free Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles and Snoop’s anticipated entrance into the square circle business. Fanmio enters boxing with the biggest name in the sport. There was a reported 1.6 million PPV buys for Tyson-Jones.
A partnership between Mayweather and Fanmio was announced in April. The celeb driven app has a variety of celebrities to choose from.
Fans have access to swag, branded videos a Zoom call with the celebrity. Floyd has 3 packages available. The most expensive package is the Ultimate Package For $1,500 where you get to meet Floyd on a 1-on-1 video meet and greet.
Back to the business of boxing. The Mayweather-McGregor spectacle boxing match at T-Mobile Arena in August 2018 generated 4.3 million domestic pay-per-view buys and more than $600 million in total revenue. Gobs of money. So, Las Vegas resident Mayweather calling out Logan Paul and scheduling this “event” isn’t about boxing. It’s about boxing business and the exhibition is just the vehicle.
According to Jay Chaudry, of The Player’s TV, a respected voice in the space of athlete branding, “The battle of the apps is upon us. Fanmio vs Triller, Dazn vs ESPN+, and dozens more who are about to follow suit. And guess who they’re after? Athletes and Creators. If you’re both, consider yourself at the top of the food chain.”
Boxing fans aren’t getting what they say they want. Boxing fans are getting what they pay for. So remember that when you want to complain about BS YouTuber fights. Did you pay for ESPN+ app, DAZN, or #SpenceGarcia? Because in boxing, the dollars always have to make sense.
