The minimum bid to sponsor a boxing megafight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao was reportedly $1 million. By the time the champs touched gloves, beer maker Tecate had plunked down $5.6 million for a spot in the ring, beating out a $5.2 million bid from Corona.
Will Mayweather’s (49-0 boxing) spectacle against UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor (21-3 MMA, 9-1 UFC) draw a similar number, even with no title at stake and McGregor’s inexperience in boxing?
Of course, the suits are optimistic.
“There’s a lot of great deals that we’re going to be announcing,” McGregor’s manager Audie Attar told MMAjunkie this past Friday at the last stop of a four-city press tour for “The Money Fight.” “But it’s still a work in progress.”
There’s a limited amount of physical real estate on which to advertise – and a limited amount of time to cut deals. The pay-per-view fight – priced at just under $99.95 for the HD version – takes place Aug. 26 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
If the spectacle draws the numbers expected, an audience of tens of millions will be watching. The viewership numbers from this past week’s press tour suggested a blockbuster, with more than a half-million tuning in online to watch the boxer and MMA fighter berate each other in a gaudy, crass affair. Mayweather and McGregor also reach more than 55 million impressions on social media.
Competition among brands should be fierce.
For “The Fight of the Century,” Mayweather got $1 million for Hublot and FanDuel patches on his shorts and an extra $1 million to have “The Burger King” accompany him to the ring, according to ESPN.com. Pacquiao took home $2.5 million.
Fighting in the UFC, McGregor was encumbered by the promotion’s apparel deal, which requires fighters to wear Reebok gear to the cage and all fight-week related activities. But Attar said the UFC champ is a free agent for sponsorships after an exclusive deal with Reebok expired.
With Reebok payouts topping $40,000 per fight for UFC champions, it’s safe to say McGregor will make more sponsor money than he’s ever seen before when he faces Mayweather in the ring.
“I think yes, they have been (the most lucrative deals we’ve ever done), and that goes hand and hand with the fight we’re a part of that he’s not only a fighter in, but a promoter in,” said Attar, adding, “that I also negotiated.”
Unlike previous fights, McGregor is acting not only as a competitor, but a promoter. His company, McGregor Sports Entertainment, joined Mayweather Promotions on banners promoting the fight during the press tour. As an owner, he shares a greater responsibility of pulling off the improbable event. But he also shares more in the profits that result from it.
“We’re not just thinking short term; we’re thinking long term,” Attar said.
For more on “The Money Fight: Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor,” check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.
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