World Boxing News has crunched the total viewing figures for the trilogy between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder.
Only one of the set of six from both sides of the Atlantic is still yet to be released officially by the United Kingdom broadcasters BT Sport.
Despite almost three years passing, the numbers for the most anticipated heavyweight rematch in some years remain a mystery.
According to estimates, Fury vs Wilder II sold an incredible 800,000 in the United States. Promoter Bob Arum informed WBN exclusively that the number reached 1.2m with online streaming.
However, those figures from BT Sport are still not forthcoming. That’s unlike Sky Sports Box Office, which has weekly ratings published on the Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board. This means BT as a network can keep its buys under lock and key.
The last fight, rumored to have sold 450,000 purchases in the UK, will only be a guesstimation. The second encounter totals may never be officially confirmed in the public domain.
Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder trilogy PPV sales
The third fight hit 300,000 in October 2021 despite being the Fight of the Year. Therefore, taking one and three into account, and assuming the second fight hit around 300,000 also, that’s just over one million in the UK.
As things stand, Sky has transparency. But the fact BT numbers are not made freely available is a shame for boxing fans.
In contrast, the United States sales are always at hand a few days after an event.
Within a week of the return playing out, and with Fury scoring a stunning seventh-round stoppage, Top Rank boss Bob Arum gave WBN his estimate.
It was well above the 800,000 stated initially by some media outlets.
“Regarding the Fury vs Wilder (II) Pay-Per-View, they don’t have the digital numbers yet. The digital is well over 300,000 buys,” Arum exclusively told World Boxing News on February 28.
“It’s probably accurate [the 800,000 reported]. But then you add in the digital on top of that. So three hundred and change [to 800,000]. It’s closer to 1.2 million.”
Guided by Fury vs Wilder I and II sales, which are reported to have sold 325,000 in the first fight and 1.2m in the second, BT Sport Box Office will be somewhere under 500,00. But that’s only going on the United States buys from both events.
PPV sales don’t work like that. And despite massive interest in the UK, the Las Vegas timeslot of the early hours won’t have helped.
One million sales per fight
United States totals for the saga stand at around two million, give or take – possibly just over that benchmark. Therefore, the three-fight series sold over three million Pay Per Views in both territories.
If Fury vs Wilder hit a million in the UK, that would be a massive success for BT Sport, who have lagged behind Sky in the PPV stakes.
A fourth installment could also be on the way in the next twelve months, with a WBC eliminator between Deontay Wilder and Andy Ruiz Jr. said to decide who faces Fury in his next mandatory.
Between America and Britain, that could take the whole quadrilogy over four million PPV sales if you go off the one million sales per fight basis.
Not too shabby.
Fury vs Wilder PPV figures – all three fights
Wilder vs Fury I: US 325,000 / UK 450,000
Fury vs Wilder II: US 800,000 to 1.2m / UK [unknown]
Fury vs Wilder III: US 800,000 / UK 300,000
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