Mayweather Vs. McGregor: They Gave Us What We Wanted


Where were you August 26th, 2017 around a quarter till midnight? I believe most of you would say on a couch or at a bar watching this historic fight between the future hall of fame boxer deemed "The Best Ever" and superstar MMA fighter who goes by "The Notorious."  The only thing bigger than this event in the past five years would their behemoth of a payday...and the circus we called the 2016 Presidential Election. 


But why would a fight between an undefeated boxer and an MMA fighter who had no experience in a boxing ring possibly top the list of top grossing boxing matches in history? My answer is simple: the fans got what they wanted to see when they wanted to see it. 


Social Media gives us instant access to important information, current events, news.  Social media can also give us access to unwanted opinions and beliefs.  I believe this is what eventually led to the fight between the two superstars.  One comment by Conor McGregor led to a trending topic on twitter in early 2017: #MayweatherMcGregor. The hype was perpetuated by fans in the rival parties bantering back and forth on who can do what until the two parties decided to see who could actually do what.  Social media interaction for this fight went way beyond the American borders.  People from all over the world came to the United States to come see this fight. In fact, the hype for this fight was so high that it is believed that Floyd Mayweather did not pay for promotion for the first time in his professional career. 

To the surprise of many, the fight was competitive and was a great day for boxing and boxing fans alike.  If all combat sports performers looked more into what the fans want and less into what they want, then that makes room for a more lucrative pay day.  It is believed that this fight is going gross over 700 million dollars! To think, that is pay day started out with a measly comment by Conor McGregor that went viral. Although the fight did not turn out like he wanted, he now has three times the amount of money he had before the fight to wipe away his tears. I don't believe this fight would have been what it was without the impact of social media.  What do you guys think? 


 


Comments

  1. Hi Danian! I totally agree with you. This event could not be this big without the impact of many different social media platforms. Everyone has been talking about this fight since two or three weeks ago, guessing who will win, who they support, and all that. As you said, they possibly made about 700 million dollars, and this fight started from the McGregor's single comment. It almost seems like all of this were planned ahead! I am definitely sure there were lots and lots of marketing factors behind this huge 2017 event. Was a fun day for fans, but we definitely gotta see more behind the scene as a marketer. Social media is the center of the discussions for this type of huge event because everyone can put in their opinion/preferences. Great post and interesting topic! Also, if you got time, check out my blog at http://whatsgoingoninkorea.blogspot.com/2017/08/introduction.html

    -Si Won Kye-

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  2. This fight was one for the ages. As someone who has never seen a boxing or MMA fight in my life, I could not have been more excited to watch this fight. Not only the thought of two superstar fighters going at it, the mere idea of being a part of this huge marketing stunt was what drove me and 10 of my friends to split the $100 PPV front row seat. Do I think the fight was overkill? Maybe? However, as a marketer, the idea that these two grown men stimulated so much buzz was amazing to witness. People like myself who have never, ever been interested in this market of entertainment suddenly went crazy over this match-up, pouring their wallets out for an hour of fun. This proves to me that anything can create attention , even if it is short lived!

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