85 million for two fights!?

[Bobthepen]

I find it hard to believe he made over forty million a fight. One point two million PPV buys times sixty dollars is 72 million. More than half of that goes to HBO/cable providers. Say the promotion gets 35. Ten million tops from the gate and ten million site fee from Vegas leaves 55 and it's probably less than that. Prromoting the fight costs money, there's the event to stage, the undercard and Floyd's opponent to pay and the promoters to make their share. I can't see the promoters working for nothing or next to nothing.

The initial PPV buys generated $94 million, plus repeats sent that over a hundred million in the US. The live gate was just over $12 million. Throw in overseas TV rights and the numbers are way North of what you're quoting.

How much of that huindred million gets back to the promotion is the crucial thing though. HBO produce the how and sell it to regional cable providers. The cable providers sell the show to customers. So you've got the cable providsers and HBO taking their cut off the top before the promotion sees a penny. There's a local tax in some states on PPV sales as well, right? So I'd be amazed if even half the gross number makes it back to the promotion, and by the time you pay the costs of the promotion, Floyd's opponent, undercard and so on that makes a dent. Then you've got the split between Golden Boy, who run the promotion, and Mayweather Promotions, which is basically Floyd employee Leonard Ellerbe and a fax machine.

There is no split with Golden Boy. It's Mayweather's show, but he sub-contracts to Golden Boy to organise and promote it for a flat fee, not a percentage. Floyd, as promoter, also takes the sponsorship cash and international distribution money. That is the Mayweather model that is so lauded by businessmen.