Fury vs. Ngannou Pay-Per-View Sales Were Better Than Expected
In today’s boxing news, the pay-per-view numbers for Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou’s boxing fight were a lot better than first expected.
That is according to Ariel Helwani. The pair faced off on October 28th, 2023, in a high-profile fight that captured the attention of casual fans and sportsmen alike.
Reports indicated that the first trailer for the fight had over 100 million views on online. In addition, numerous celebrities and sportsmen were in Riyadh to watch the fight.
Figures such as Eminem, Kanye West and Cristiano Ronaldo were pictured at the event. Not only that, but Ngannou had done a lot better than expected, by dropping Fury in round three, with some believing he had done enough to win.
“Watching from ringside I thought Ngannou won the fight. It was close but he was the aggressor, landed heavier shots & scored a knockdown. Fury deserved to lose after having so much trouble against a man who has never boxed before… too much time filming Netflix specials not enough time in the gym I’m guessing. Unlucky Francis,” Chris Eubank Jr.
PPV Figures
Although that may have been the case, the figures surrounding the PPV suggested that the fight did not resonate with the fanbase.
It was ultimately being sold for $79.99 in the US for a non-title fight, when many were hoping to see an undisputed bout with Oleksandr Usyk instead.
With that being said, Dave Meltzer revealed that the numbers for the fight were less than the Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz bout which had reportedly done over 400,000 buys.
“Meltzer on Observer Radio – discussing the #FuryNgannou PPV buys: “I will have the exact numbers tomorrow, but they were terrible. Way below an AEW PPV. Possibly 10k for TV orders. I will have the streaming tomorrow. It was nothing close to Canelo or Diaz-Paul buys.”
Those comments were then clarified by further reports that the fight had done 11,500 buys on TV via pay-per-view in the US. Meanwhile, it allegedly did 56,000 on ESPN+ PPV.
Either way, those numbers would be a lot less than was expected given that the fighters were receiving the highest paydays of their career. And yet, Helwani made it clear that the real figures were a lot better.
Helwani’s Comments
“Let’s just say it didn’t do over 100 [thousand buys in America], that’s Saturday afternoon/American pay-per-view numbers. That’s completely ignoring the fact that it also aired on TNT Sports Box Office, in the U.K. where Tyson is his biggest draw. That’s where he has his most drawing power, in the U.K, he’s British.
“[That’s] ignoring that [Canada] number, ESPN+ is not in Canada, and also ignoring the DAZN number. Which aired everywhere but the U.S., U.K., and Ireland. You’re ignoring all these numbers! I can tell you with great certainty right now, being extremely conservative as I say this, the number you shouldn’t be throwing in my face is 75k, isn’t even 100,” Helwani
Ultimately, until Frank Warren confirms the official numbers, fans will be left none the wiser. Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingblitz.
