The domestic UFC 268 PPV buys have the event lined up to eventually be the third best-selling event of 2021.
On Monday night, Sports Business Journal [h/t TSN] reported that the Nov. 6 event inside New York’s Madison Square Garden earned 700,000 buys on ESPN+. These numbers are only for domestic buys in North America. Meaning, when the buys for international PPV platforms are counted the tally is expected to be much higher. And total buys could end up being near or over a million.
UFC 268 PPV buys on track to finish as the third best selling of 2021
The 700,000 buys currently place the event at fourth for 2021. However, the event sitting ahead of it — UFC 259 — has 800,000 total buys. Putting UFC 268 in a position to move into the third spot in the coming weeks. However, it will likely finish far behind UFC 257 and UFC 264.
Both events were headlined by a clash between one-time interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier and former two-division king Conor McGregor. Each event surpassed 1.5 million buys, with UFC 257 in January earning a high of 1.6 million purchases [h/t MMAMania].
Along with a strong number on PPV, UFC 268 took place in front of a sold-out crowd in MSG. Earning the fourth biggest gate in venue history of US $9.9 million.
In his post-event interview (which you can find below), UFC President Dana White had high hopes the event would have a worthwhile showing on PPV. Noting the huge revenue pulled in at the building, the interest on social media being “threw the roof” on fight week, and early data showing an upward trend for the card.
The 700,000 number may not seem overly impressive on the surface, but considering that the PPV took place behind a subscription paywall on ESPN+ and was going head-to-head with a boxing PPV featuring the biggest star in the sport Canelo Alvarez, the domestic number alone is something for White to have a green-eyed smile about.
UFC 268 was headlined by a pair of championship rematches. In the co-main event, strawweight queen Rose Namajunas defended her title by defeating former champion Zhang Weili by split decision. In the headliner, welterweight king Kamaru Usman once again turned back the challenge of one-time interim titlist Colby Covington by scoring a five-round unanimous decision victory.
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