The remaining tickets have been divided among MGM Grand, Mayweather Promotions and Pacquiao’s promoter, Top Rank, with most of those seats bound for after-market sales. Top Rank Chairman Bob Arumsaidthe MGM Grand has been configured for 16,200 seats, with the live- gate based on face- value ticket prices to be between $72 million and $73 million.
The amount is more than triple the prior boxing record and greater than what the latest Super Bowl in Arizona generated, which is an estimated $60 million, the Los Angeles Times reported. The cheapest Mayweather-Pacquiao seats are expected to be $1,500. Floor seats, according to two officials, are currently listed at $10,000, after first being mentioned at $5,000, the Los Angeles Times reported. The fight pits the unbeaten Mayweather and record eight-division champion Pacquiao.
“There’s a definite appetite for this fight globally … everywhere, it’s robust,” Top Rank President Todd duBoef said in the report. “Sky Sports has a history of putting up real results on pay-per-view, and they were fortunate enough to secure those rights.”
The foreign deals in other countries, such as Mexico and the Philippines, are for general network circulation.
Another individual familiar with the foreign television market said the television rights deal negotiated in Pacquiao’s home country, the Philippines, is the richest among all foreign deals, at $10 million.
Sky Sports Box Office has been awarded exclusive live rights to ‘the fight of the century’, according to an announcement on March 24. Sky Sports viewers will be able to follow the build-up to Mayweather v Pacquiao across its channels and digital media outlets, including access to both boxers’ training camps, press conferences and public appearances.
Barney Francis, Managing Director of Sky Sports, said: “This fight has everything and is set to be one of the biggest sports events of the year. As the home of boxing in the UK and Republic of Ireland, we’re thrilled to be awarded the rights.
“We’ll provide Sky Sports viewers with the best possible build-up across our channels and outlets and the best coverage of the fight itself from our team in Las Vegas,” Francis added.