Floyd Mayweather is the king of Pay Per View, World Boxing News can revealed after crunching the numbers.
Mayweather stands above Tyson as the generational PPV ruler for home box office sales.
However, Mayweather gets dwarfed by old greats Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier for overall purchases and screen time.
As WBN breaks down the Top Ten Pay PPV sellers from the boxing world, Mayweather’s inclusion in fourth comes at the price of closed-circuit TV.
Many would instantly think Floyd Mayweather had sold the most Pay Per Views in history. However, several factors come into play when you look at the statistics.
If total sales from all platforms where fans pay to watch the sport on a screen get considered, Ali is way out in front on 160 million and change.
That was when most people had to buy a ticket to a theater to watch the fight live. That would change with Home Box Office [HBO] PPV added into the mix.
This format would soon take over.
With Ali way out in front in the paid punter stakes, nobody gets near ‘The Greatest’ until closest rival Joe Frazier sixty million back on 100 million.
George Foreman is third on over 50 million thanks to his fight with Ali in 1974 and subsequent comeback in the 1980s.
Floyd Mayweather
Mayweather is fourth due to this era being primarily broadcast on home Pay Per View with closed-circuit a mere extra thanks to cable.
Manny Pacquiao comes fifth, with knockout icon Mike Tyson coming in sixth. Conor McGregor, Oscar De La Hoya, Anthony Joshua, and Evander Holyfield are Rounding off the top ten.
Now, if we take those ten superstars and take away the closed-circuit sales, that’s where Floyd Mayweather comes into his element.
For instance, ‘Money’ is nine million ahead of Tyson on both lists. Pacquiao is second, in front of “The Baddest Man on the Planet.’
McGregor, De La Hoya, Joshua, and Holyfield give the top seven positions a distinct flavor of the post-1970s.
Due to his run to become the oldest heavyweight champion ever, Foreman is next. Ali is ninth, and Frazier is tenth.
Therefore, on the Pay Per View front, as we know it today, there’s no doubt that Floyd Mayweather is the ultimate PPV fighter.
Boxer Pay Per View sales
All-time / All Platforms
Muhammad Ali 162,944,000
Joe Frazier 100,500,000
George Foreman 52,000,000
Floyd Mayweather Jr. 29,090,000
Manny Pacquiao 22,214,000
Mike Tyson 20,700,000
Conor McGregor 18,400,000
Oscar De La Hoya 14,140,000
Anthony Joshua 13,441,000
Evander Holyfield 12,720,000
All-time PPV sales
Exclusively Home Sales
Floyd Mayweather Jr. 28,867,000
Manny Pacquiao 22,041,000
Mike Tyson 19,780,000
Conor McGregor 18,400,000
Anthony Joshua 14,641,000
Oscar De La Hoya 14,090,000
Evander Holyfield 12,600,000
George Foreman 2,000,000
Muhammad Ali 790,000
Joe Frazier 500,000
