Wilder suffers grim career-low number of PPV buys despite Helenius KO
Wilder announces boxing return following double defeat by Fury
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Deontay Wilder’s return to the ring against Robert Helenius reportedly received just 75,000 domestic pay-per-view buys. The grim figure marks a career-lowest PPV buy rate for Wilder whose previous low came in November 2019 when he fought Luis Ortiz for a second time with 225,000 households tuning in.
According to esteemed boxing writer Dan Rafael, the figure includes buys across all platforms including Fox PPV and FITE TV. With a price of $74.99 (roughly £67), the fight generated $5.6million in television revenue – which is at least $11million less than the Ortiz rematch.
This price was a point of contention leading up to the fight with many fans voicing their displeasure over the hefty sum. Reacting to the news, boxing fans took to Twitter to blame the hiking prices for the low buy rate.
@Waddy1 tweeted: “The price point makes it a no brainier but to stream.” While @TomBond28 wrote: “At $74.99 I’m not surprised.”
@DC_Dickel added: “This fight lineup should have been on FS1 or better yet Fox broadcast. No good reason for it to be on PPV especially at $75+.” And @Soloemoon said: “They’ve got to lower these PPV prices. They price a lot of people out.”
Wilder knocked out Helenius in the first round of their WBC semi-final eliminator with a short right hand to record the 42nd stoppage victory of his 46-fight career (43-2-1). One month prior in PBC Fox Sports’ last PPV card Andy Ruiz Jr defeated Ortiz on points in the other semi-final bout.
That pay-per-view, also priced at $74.99, received a slightly lower buy rate of 65,000 domestic pay-per-view buys according to Rafael. The pair will now progress to a final eliminator for a shot at Tyson Fury’s green strap.
Sanctioning body president Mauricio Sulaimán confirmed that this fight will be ordered at next month’s WBC convention which is set to take place from November 6 to November 11 in Acapulco, Mexico.
Speaking to Marca about The Bronze Bomber’s last performance, Sulaimán said: “It was impressive. It was a demonstration of power. Wilder hits very hard, but he had been inactive and after two complicated defeats you don’t know how the mind comes, but I saw him like in his best moments.”
When asked about the Ruiz Jr match-up, he added: “Andy Ruiz is a fighter of great diversity, he is a beastly puncher. But styles make fights, The Destroyer is much shorter than Wilder, it can be complicated for him.”
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