It took nine weeks. It’s hard to conceive now, in retrospect, that in 63 days the biggest fight in boxing history was somehow pieced together and came to a historic conclusion.
But that’s what the numbers bear out: The May 2 Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao mega-fight established a new record for total pay-per-view buys with 4.4 million, according to joint press releases by Showtime and HBO Sports on Tuesday.
The release also stated that with additional revenue from the live gate at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, international television distribution, sponsorships, closed circuit and merchandise sales, the event is expected to generate in excess of $500 million in gross worldwide receipts.