How much should viewers expect to pay to watch Mayweather vs. McGregor?
The late-summer showdown between undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. and UFC fighter Conor McGregor has generated nothing but hype since it was announced Wednesday evening. And while the fight itself may not ultimately live up to its billing, you can expect ticket and Showtime pay-per-view prices to approach record highs.
Specific numbers for both are yet to be determined, but a good guide to the Aug. 26 fight would be Mayweather’s bout against Manny Pacquiao in 2015. That cost viewers $99.95 on Showtime and HBO. (UPDATE: The Mayweather-McGregor fight is the same price as Mayweather-McGregor.)
In-person tickets for that fight cost between $1,500 and $7,500 before resale, and sold out in a flash. Expect more of the same this time around.
Details of the Mayweather-Pacquiao PPV prices were released just over a month before the 2015 fight, so fans might have to wait until mid-July to get finalized numbers.
What we know about the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor fight
Mayweather, who retired from boxing after his last fight in September 2015, is an early heavy favorite in the Las Vegas fight. McGregor boxed when he was younger but is largely expected to be overpowered come August.
Despite the mismatch, one of the biggest reasons this fight has felt inevitable is because of the money. Each fighter could earn payouts of more than $100 million, according to Yahoo Sports. On TV, the match is likely to exceed the record-setting 4.6 million PPV purchases for Mayweather-Pacquiao.
PPVs for big boxing matches and UFC fights usually cost around $59.