Mayweather/Pacquiao Breaks PPV And Revenue Records; 4.4 Million Buys, $400 Million

CBS Corporation CBS subsidiary Showtime Networks Inc. reported record-breaking results Tuesday for the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao event.

The company said the event “shattered the previous record for total pay-per-view buys and now ranks as the highest-grossing pay-per-view of all time.”

Early reports indicated 4.4 million U.S. buys with more than $400 million in domestic pay-per-view revenue.

Additional revenue was expected from the live gate at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, owned by MGM Resorts International MGM, in addition to international television distribution, sponsorships, closed circuit and merchandise sales.

In total, over $500 million in gross worldwide revenue was anticipated.

The gate receipts at the MGM Grand Garden Arena generated more than $71 million in revenue, far in excess of the previous live gate record of $20 million for the Mayweather vs. Canelo event.

While no free tickets were expected to be offered, the commission gate report indicated “there were 46 complimentary tickets issued -- four in the $10,000 price category and 42 in the $2,500 price range. Surprisingly, there were nine unsold tickets to the fight -- six in the $7,500 category, two in the $5,000 category and one in the $3,500 price range,” according to ESPN.

Social media also played a role in the event as Facebook Inc FB reported that “37 million unique people contributed more than 115 million interactions from the start of the event to 30 minutes following its completion,” according to the Showtime press release.

CBS Corporation recently traded at $60.00, up 0.55 percent.