Mayweather v Oscar sets record
2007-05-10 07:59
Las Vegas - Oscar De La Hoya's WBC super welterweight bout with Floyd Mayweather jnr generated revenue of $120m from American pay-per-view television, earning a record $45m purse for De La Hoya.
A total of 2.15 million households in the US paid $54.95 for the fight, which an official said would be worth $45m for De La Hoya and just over $20m for Mayweather. That person requested anonymity because the promoters did not want official figures released.
The $45m would be the biggest purse paid to a fighter, higher than the $35m purses Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield reportedly were paid for their second heavyweight bout, the infamous "Bite Fight" when Tyson bit Holyfield's ear.
Mayweather beat De La Hoya on a split decision on Saturday night in an entertaining fight that drew a record live gate of $19m at the MGM Grand Garden arena in Las Vegas.
The American cable channel HBO produced the bout through its pay-per-view arm and Ross Greenburg, head of HBO Sports, credited the success of the network's "24/7" reality show that ran in a coveted Sunday night slot for three weeks leading up to the fight with helping sell the bout.
Mayweather and his dysfunctional family, including his estranged father, Floyd snr, and his trainer and uncle, Roger, became the stars of the show, allowing non-boxing fans a glimpse into the life of the fighter.
"The series was not only well received by the American public, who were suddenly attracted in a very human way to these two fighters, but it allowed the media to cover the fight in more depth," Greenburg said. "They were able to dive deeper into the backgrounds of both fighters."
- AP