Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are expected to split $300 million - here's where the money comes from

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mayweather pacquiao fight

Stephen Dunn/Getty

We are less than two weeks away from the most anticipated fight in recent boxing history when Floyd Mayweather finally takes on Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

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Details about how much the two fighters will make and where the money will come from are starting to emerge, and the amounts are staggering.

At the end of the day, both boxers are expected to make "well over $100 million" regardless of who wins, according to John Branch of the New York Times. The payouts would be more than twice as much as any other payday in boxing history.

Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter, confirmed that Mayweather's down payment before the fight alone will be $50 million and Leonard Ellerbe, chief executive of Mayweather Promotions, would only say that Mayweather's check will be "a lot more than $50 million."

Branch took a closer look at the numbers and says that once all the revenue is added up, the two fighters could split "around $300 million" for the 12-round fight.

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Here are the biggest sources of revenue for the fight:

  • Pay-per-view - Branch estimates pay-per-view sales will generate $270 million in revenue alone based on purchases in 3 million homes. However, some believe sales could reach 4 million homes, which would push this portion of the revenue up to $360 million. Of that, 55-65% will go to the fighters or ~$150-233 million with the rest going to cable companies and satellite providers (30-40%) and HBO/Showtime (7.5%).
  • Ticket sales - Gate receipts at the MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas will generate ~$72 million thanks to tickets ranging in price from $1,500 to $7,500.
  • International broadcast sales - "At least" $35 million.
  • Closed-circuit broadcasts at bars - $13 million.
  • Sponsorships - $12 million.
  • Merchandise sales - $1 million

Of most of the revenue going to the boxers, 60% will go to Mayweather with Pacquiao taking the other 40%. However, according to Arum, one $20 million slice of the pie (revenue between $160 and $180 million) will be split depending on who wins the fight, with the winner taking $10.2 million and the loser receiving the other $9.8 million.

Not a bad payday for what will likely be amount to about one hour in the ring.

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