Devin Haney’s Last PPV Buys: Can He Generate Record-Breaking Revenue?

Many have argued that boxing isn’t a sport, it’s a business. When it comes to pay-per-view numbers, it certainly appears so. How much does a fight generate in revenue? How much does a fighter take from it? While wins and losses determine the worth of a fighter, markers like these signify whether the fight was successful or not, monetarily. In the days leading up to Devin Haney’s fight against Ryan Garcia, his capability to sell fights has been questioned immensely in light of the comparatively lower ticket sales to the fight.

It all started last year when Gervonta Davis‘ fight against Garcia sold a groundbreaking 1.2 million pay-per-views. Haney, his contemporary, was roped into the comparison, facing criticisms for not selling the same or better amount of PPVs and tickets for his fights. This debate has peaked once again now, and fans remain concerned if he’ll be able to sell enough. While we await for the fight to elapse to know the answers to these questions, here’s a brief look at the PPV numbers from his previous fights.

The Dream is Hoping for millions

Recently, on the Million Dollaz Worth of Game YouTube channel, the 25-year-old expressed his expectations for PPV sales for the upcoming April 18th fight. According to him, there is a high chance of the number reaching almost a million. He said, “I think it’s going to do a million. This fight is big.”

“People really want to see this fight. It’s big. It’s been a long time coming. We got to see if he’s playing crazy or if he’s really. We don’t know. Right now, it’s my time, and that’s what I’m going to show. I’m in a groove where I can’t be beat. It won’t be close,” he added.

While this expectation seems befitting for the hype that it has generated, it is important to see how the fighter has fared so far.

How much have his fights sold on PPV so far?

In his fight against Regis Prograis in December last year, Haney defeated the former to take his WBC Super Lightweight title. That fight, per experts, did not do so well on PPV. As per sources, it sold about 50,000 PPVs. While a ballpark figure in terms of money is hard to give, it is understood that $79 was charged on each PPV for DAZN. However, Eddie Hearn, the fight’s promoter, argued that the fight did not come out as a loss.

In May, last year, he competed against Vasyl Lomachenko, which was marred in controversy after the fight. While Haney won the fight on points, many believed that ‘Loma’ landed more punches than the Dream, and he deserved the win. Media reports suggest that the fight also did modestly well on PPV buys. Per Dan Rafael, the fight’s PPV from ESPN+ and other forms of streaming platforms came up to about 150,000 buys. It retailed at about $59.99, bringing it to an estimated domestic revenue of $9 million.

In October 2022, Devin Haney undertook a rematch against George Kambosos Jr., as the latter sought to redeem himself from the loss he encountered in June that year. In the rematch, Haney followed suit and defeated the Aussie fighter on points. The ESPN fight reached an average audience of 935,000. The PPV was priced at about $59.99 per buy.

How Much Money Did He Make From The Fights?

1. As per reports, Haney earned about $6 million for his fight against Prograis
2. For his Loma fight, ESPN noted that he earned about $4 million along with a share of the PPV revenue.
3. Against Kambosos Jr., in their first fight, Haney was known to have earned $2.8 million with a 30% share of the PPV revenue. Additionally, for their rematch, he reportedly earned about $9 million.

His next fight against Garcia will also be on DAZN PPV and here are a few details about it.

Haney vs. Garcia: PPV details

The fight will be streamed on DAZN where fans can buy the match along with its undercards. For one-time purchasers, it will cost them $69.99. However, subscribers who pay a monthly subscription of $19.99 with a 12-month contract or $24.99 month-to-month in the U.S., will have a slightly lesser amount to pay than that.

On the tickets front, the cheapest ones cost $174.75, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, with some front-row seats being offered at over $8,000, which many argue is a little steep. However, with all things set in place, it remains to be seen if the fight will reach, surpass, or struggle to meet the aspirations of the fighters.

Do you think Devin Haney will be able to see the 1 million PPV buys? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.