As detailed by veteran boxing reporter, Dan Rafael, the DAZN PPV for Saul ‘Canelo’ Álvarez and Gennady Golovkin’s trilogy fight is said to have generated around half of the buys that their second fight did.
When Canelo and Golovkin faced off in 2017, 1.3 million people in the US tuned in via HBO pay-per-view. Their second meeting – born from a controversial decision in the first – did a similar 1.1 million. This weekend in Las Vegas, the pair faced off for a third time. The initial figures being reported are 550,000 and 575,000, closing in on the 600,000 mark.
The number, provided by Dan Rafael after consultation with multiple industry sources, will likely come as a disappointment to DAZN, who are still in the early stages of their PPV offering.
Mainly a subscription service, the DAZN price for viewers was split between monthly subscribers and one-off purchases – $64.99 and $84.99, respectively. Rafael’s sources have pointed out that around 200,000 of the total were non-subscribers.
With a reported guaranteed payout of $75 million for the two fighters, it’s fair to assume that the company were expecting higher audience figures. In the build-up to the fight, promoter Eddie Hearn predicted that the fight may do between 800,000 and 1 million buys.
What’s also concerning, should the numbers be verified, is that Canelo Álvarez is a bonafide superstar and massive draw for boxing fans. In fact, some say he’s the biggest and best fighter in the world.
If his PPV performance for DAZN did fall short, there may be a worry around how future fights above the regular subscription perform. All eyes will now turn to the Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn fight on October 8 which will follow the same PPV model here in the UK. Hearn has been confident in its potential broadcast success.
Canelo won the bout and put an end to the rivalry with relative ease, fighting to a unanimous decision. Post-fight, he called for a rematch with Dmitry Bivol following his recent loss to the light heavyweight. Rafael points out that the fight in May sold 520,000 on DAZN PPV, despite being set at a slightly lower price point.
As of writing, UK buys haven’t been added into the equation, and no official numbers have been released by the broadcaster. You can read Rafael’s full report here.