Best and worst selling UK PPVs according to BARB

[keirw]

https://www.worldboxingnews.net/2019/04 ... pv-record/

Not sure how accurate these figures are, but interesting article anyway.

[jamamb]

LOWEST UK PPV SALES (UNDER 100k)
18 September 2010 – Kell Brook vs. Michael Jennings (Sky Box Office) 15k
25 May 2013 – Carl Froch vs. Mikkel Kessler II (Sky Box Office) 32k
21 May 1966 – Muhammad Ali vs. Henry Cooper II (Pay TV) 40k
21 May 2011 – George Groves vs. James DeGale (Sky Box Office) 43k
23 November 2013 – Carl Froch vs. George Groves (Sky Box Office) 47k


HIGHEST UK PPV SALES
29 April 2017 – Anthony Joshua vs. Wladimir Klitschko Sky Box Office 1,53m
31 March 2018 – Anthony Joshua vs. Joseph Parker Sky Box Office 1,457m
8 December 2007 – Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Ricky Hatton Sky Box Office 1,15m
2 July 2011 – Wladimir Klitschko vs. David Haye Sky Box Office 1,143m
22 September 2018 – Anthony Joshua vs. Alexander Povetkin Sky Box Office 1,113m
2 May 2015 – Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao Sky Box Office 1m+

[jamamb]

king josh

[banjo]

I'm guessing p4p that the Ali v Cooper one is actually quite good given that TV ownership wouldn't have been very high in 1966.

[danconnollyeire]

Fvck AJ does well. No wonder he won’t go lower than 60% vs anyone. Some of those PPVs though. Groves vs DeGale? Brook vs Jennings

[danconnollyeire]

Also Hatton Mayweather at third is pretty great considering it was an early hours fight

[banjo]

Froch vs Groves 1 was mocked for being PPV originally, 90% of people saw a Froch win as a formality.

[jamamb]

I'm guessing p4p that the Ali v Cooper one is actually quite good given that TV ownership wouldn't have been very high in 1966.

how was ppv even set up back then i wonder

[rhino222]

how was ppv even set up back then i wonder

in cinemas i presume

[banjo]

Pay TV it was called, not sure how it worked but you could get it in your living room.

Cinemas was different.

[dalcumly]

Just as a matter of interest the first Cooper v Clay/Ali fight in 1963 had 17 million radio listeners. Assuming an average of 2 people were listening to each radio we could say half the British population were tuned in. Everything always looks better in hindsight but I could argue that no boxer in recent history, excluding Bruno perhaps, could hold a candle to Coopers popularity among the masses.

[Onetimeonly]

Pay TV it was called, not sure how it worked but you could get it in your living room.

Cinemas was different.

Really? Before cable TV? I don't see how.

[JimStone]

Really? Before cable TV? I don't see how.

It was done by cable. Users had a coin slot under their TV set. It was only available in London and Sheffield and broadcasted stuff like racing and films predominantly.

[JimStone]

PS: I question the accuracy of BARB numbers at both ends of the scale. I wouldn't be surprised if some of those numbers are 200% or more out.

[ThereByTheGrace]

Finding it hard to believe froch groves one did less than khan mccloskey

[orbtastic]

Yeah seems odd, although most people forget that there wasn't a huge buzz about the first fight. I mean, obviously once he was dropped it went off and the stoppage is really what made the rematch so big. Went to both!

[Boxerbeetle]

Finding it hard to believe froch groves one did less than khan mccloskey

Wasn’t Khan-McCloskey on Primetime? I seem to remember it being scheduled to be on Sky but then they wouldn’t put it on PPV as the undercard fell apart? If so, I’m not surprised it’s not on the list, I doubt BARB would have any reliable way of measuring sales on such an obscure channel (not that I believe any of these numbers are particularly accurate, mind).

[Ruthless-RKO]

Wasn’t Khan-McCloskey on Primetime? I seem to remember it being scheduled to be on Sky but then they wouldn’t put it on PPV as the undercard fell apart? If so, I’m not surprised it’s not on the list, I doubt BARB would have any reliable way of measuring sales on such an obscure channel (not that I believe any of these numbers are particularly accurate, mind).

The numbers for that were actually released around the time.

Sky said it wasn’t PPV worthy.

[JC]

HIGHEST UK PPV SALES
29 April 2017 – Anthony Joshua vs. Wladimir Klitschko Sky Box Office 1,53m
31 March 2018 – Anthony Joshua vs. Joseph Parker Sky Box Office 1,457m
8 December 2007 – Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Ricky Hatton Sky Box Office 1,15m
2 July 2011 – Wladimir Klitschko vs. David Haye Sky Box Office 1,143m
22 September 2018 – Anthony Joshua vs. Alexander Povetkin Sky Box Office 1,113m
2 May 2015 – Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao Sky Box Office 1m+

Goes to show the May/Pac model of having to 'build' a fight for years is not as important as a lot of promotors make out, provided it's a good fight in the first place.

[keirw]

Goes to show the May/Pac model of having to 'build' a fight for years is not as important as a lot of promotors make out, provided it's a good fight in the first place.

To be fair, most of the money that fight made was in the US, UK TV revenue was a drop in the ocean.

[JC]

To be fair, most of the money that fight made was in the US, UK TV revenue was a drop in the ocean.

That is true.

But I was actually struck by the fact Joshua/Wlad comfortably outsold Wlad/Haye which have for-EVER to 'build'

[Ruthless-RKO]

To be fair, most of the money that fight made was in the US, UK TV revenue was a drop in the ocean.

Also, the fight was at 5am UK time..

Had Joshua vs. Wlad been promoted on Matchroom USA and took place in Vegas as 5am..

The buys here would not even reach 1 million.

A lot of buy AJ's fights do are casual fans. Most hardcore fans find a free way of watching.

[JC]

Also, the fight was at 5am UK time..

Had Joshua vs. Wlad been promoted on Matchroom USA and took place in Vegas as 5am..

The buys here would not even reach 1 million.

I wasn't directly comparing the numbers of the two fights, I was just saying its interesting that the best selling fight on the list wasn't one that had built up over a number of years.

I hear people like Barry Hearn saying Joshua Wilder needs to build up for years to maximise its potential, I'm just not sure that's the case.

[Ruthless-RKO]

I hear people like Barry Hearn saying Joshua Wilder needs to build up for years to maximise its potential, I'm just not sure that's the case.

It probably needs more hype in the US than the UK..

UK fans are ready..

Promoters want it to be a success both sides of the pond so they need to work on the US side I think.

[Onetimeonly]

It was done by cable. Users had a coin slot under their TV set. It was only available in London and Sheffield and broadcasted stuff like racing and films predominantly.

Amazing