[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][mk_padding_divider size=”20″][mk_fancy_title tag_name=”h2″ style=”false” color=”#00afcc” size=”24″ font_weight=”bold” font_style=”inhert” letter_spacing=”0″ margin_top=”0″ font_family=”none” align=”left” txt_transform=”uppercase” margin_bottom=”18″]The Most Lucrative Fight of All Time.
[/mk_fancy_title][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]Unless you live under a rock, you know that Saturday, May 2 is the big day the day of the Mayweather – Pacquiao fight. This fight has been years in the making and boxing fans everywhere are delirious over the prospect. Even people who have never previously been interested in boxing have been sucked into the frenzy.
And that is no accident. Boxing executives, promoters and sponsors, as well as Mayweather and Pacquiao themselves, have executed on a masterful marketing plan to ensure that profits are maximized. Mayweather will take home $200 million for this fight, and Pacquiao will receive $133 million. Billed as “The Fight of the Century”, this event is projected to break all kinds of monetary records.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]Here are some of the numbers:
- Pay-per-view subscribers will shell out $99 to watch the HD feed, the highest price ever for a fight.
- Revenue from pay-per-view purchases alone is expected to break records at $250 million.
- Tickets to the live event will cost patrons $1,500 – $7,500 netting a total of $75 million in ticket sales, again the most ever for a boxing match.
- Bets placed on the fight are expected to reach $80 million, second only to bets placed on the Super Bowl.
- A record $13.2 million will be paid out for event sponsorships.
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]Updated: Here are some of the craziest brand escapades of the night.[/vc_column_text][mk_padding_divider size=”20″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”5702″ border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”600×400″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]Jimmy Kimmel! This genius entrance in Pacquiao’s entourage was one of the highlights of the night, by far. Kimmel played this just right, with the hat, the chains, the T-shirt and the swagger. But he pulled it off by projecting self awareness of his own parody. Well done![/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”5691″ border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”600×400″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]In one of the most surprising appearances of the night, Justin Beiber was included in Mayweather’s grand entrance entourage leading to exclamations of, “is that Justin Beiber?!” In an interview, Mayweather said, “[Justin’s] a good kid.” Guess it takes one to know one.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”5703″ border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”600×400″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]The Burger King! This seemed so out of place for the night, but then again, its a crazy night where anything goes. The appearance is a major coup for the fast-food chain. The brand gained cultural cachet and defied rumors of its own demise, all in one fell swoop.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”5704″ border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”600×400″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]Surprising, but not surprising. Geico managed to find a way on to yet another stage. Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s long-time trainer, was decked out in Geico gear. The brand does get credit for the stop-the-entrance-and-take-a-selfie move, it caused the audience to pay attention to the moment and made it memorable.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”5693″ border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”600×400″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]Mexico was also inexplicably a major sponsor of the event. Two Mexican television networks aired the bout free of charge and the Mexican tourism board secured ad space for the event. Tecate was the main beer sponsor of the event. Curiously, the Mexican national anthem was performed to open the proceedings, to the confusion of viewers.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”5697″ border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”600×400″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]As the main beer sponsor of the event, Tecate made its brand as visible as possible. The logo was splashed across the ring, on the ropes, and across the eye candy girls at the weigh-in and accompanying the announcer kicking off the fight.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”5699″ border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”600×400″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]The MGM Grand certainly made its money. With $200 hotel rooms going for $1,600 the night of the fight, the venue capitalized on its sponsorship of this event. The hospitality trademark was seen in aerial shots, on the ring floor ropes and splashed across the arena.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”5705″ border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”600×400″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]The new Marvel movie, Avengers: Age of Ultron, also grabbed some screen time. As a one-time event, the boxing match gave the studio a great platform to remind audiences that the movie will be here to entertain them for weeks to come.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”5695″ border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”600×400″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]The trunks! No wasted space here.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”5706″ border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”600×400″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]HBO Shotime Pay-Per-View made out like a bandit from this event. From the PPV subscriptions to the on-screen promotions and the earned media commentary, this brand may have garnered more media impact than any other. However, the outcome is a mixed bag because following the event much of the coverage has turned to focus on the fact that cable networks were overwhelmed with last minute subscriptions to the fight and some people were not able to see the fight or had interrupted service. While this is more directly a networks problem, HBO Shotime gets a black eye for not anticipating the surge in demand and managing the process better.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/1″][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]Updated: And here are the losers of the night.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”5708″ border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”600×400″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]Its hard to tell if audiences won or lost from this event. Were we exploited? Most definitely. But were we willing participants in our own exploitation? Probably. This was an event that fell far, far short of expectations. After the fight, boxing analysts chastised people who complained that the fight was boring, saying that this was Floyd Mayweather’s classic MO and audiences should have known not to expect anything different. But we didn’t know. We just didn’t know.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][mk_fancy_title tag_name=”h2″ style=”false” color=”#00afcc” size=”24″ font_weight=”bold” font_style=”inhert” letter_spacing=”0″ margin_top=”0″ font_family=”none” align=”left” txt_transform=”uppercase” margin_bottom=”18″]What Do You Think of the Boxing Hype?[/mk_fancy_title][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]Let Us Know in the Comments Section Below![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
