Mayweather vs. McGregor: How businesses across America will cash in

Households across the country will pay about $100 to watch boxer Floyd Mayweather and mixed martial artist Conor McGregor face off in the ultimate ‘money fight’ this Saturday.

You can pay as little as $20 to watch in a convivial atmosphere, too. Many bars and restaurant chains are offering special deals. Even if they aren’t packed to the brim, businesses are anticipating high spend on munchies and drinks.

Bars betting on big spenders

Dave and Busters (PLAY), Hooters (HOTR), Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD) and Wingstop (WING), among others, view the upcoming fight as the event of the year.

And no, these establishments aren’t paying $99.95 like viewers at home. Their fee for commercial viewing depends on maximum room occupancy. Joe Hand Promotions, the third-party event promoter that handles UFC events, tells businesses that it will cost them $30 per head.

The base plan assumes a 70-person capacity space, which would go for $2,100. The maximum that a business will have to pay is $9,000, which assumes 300 people are watching. Most establishments fall somewhere in between, catering to around 150 individuals, which would cost $4,500. It costs an additional $700 for DirecTV customers because of uplink fees.

Here are a few options

Dave and Busters is showing the fight at all 100 of its locations, and viewing options varyby store. There are two price points: $60, which comes with a spread of finger foods like boneless buffalo wings, chicken tacos and fried shrimp; and $75 if you want two premium drink tickets on top of the food.

Hooters announced that it will show the pay-per-view event at 200 — or about half — of all of its locations. The restaurant charged early birds who signed up to watch the match in advance $30, that fee included $20 toward free food on a future visit. For those who didn’t want to reserve a spot, it will cost $50 on fight night.

Buffalo Wild Wings is showing the fight at 40% of its locations, though some franchisees are still in the process of opting in so there may ultimately end up being more. The cover charge will range from $20 to $30, depending on the location. While there aren’t any food or drinks specials, there are large take-out packages, according to Heather Pribyl, director of investor relations.  

“There are fewer West Coast franchisees that signed up because it will still be during dinner time. It’s ultimately up to individual franchisees to decide whether to show the fight or not, but we hope that we attract a lot of fans,” she told Yahoo Finance.

Wingstop is anticipating a significant bump in sales this weekend. And the chicken chain doesn’t even show the fight at its restaurants.  Seventy-five percent of Wingstop’s business is take-out, according to the company’s PR director Brian Bell. While he wouldn’t quantify the expected surge in sales, he says the company is poised to handle larger orders.

Mayweather-Pacquiao set the bar high

There’s a recent precedent for a fight that came with a similar amount of hype: the 2015 Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, which was so big that businesses were addressing its impact even a year later.

While we don’t have the numbers for this upcoming fight, it’s safe to say companies are bracing for a similar bump in business.

Mayweather defeated Pacquiao by unanimous decision. (John Gurzinski/AFP/Getty Images)

Wingstop CEO Charles Morrison noted during last year’s second-quarter earnings callthat the company’s “strong performance in [2015] was partially due to the boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.”

Specifically, Morrison said the fight boosted comparable store sales by 100 basis points.

While most Buffalo Wild Wings locations did not show the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, COO James Schmidt defended the decision at the time saying it was too much money. “I think it’s about $5,100 a restaurant and so we did not feel comfortable with the cost.”

This year, more Buffalo Wild Wings franchisees have opted in to screen the fight, hoping it will drive more customers into the restaurants.

A win for Vegas

The T-Mobile arena at MGM Resorts (MGM) can hold 20,000 people for boxing events. MGM projects that the fight will be the primary reason for a strong third quarter.

During its second-quarter conference call, CEO Jim Murren expressed his enthusiasm for the fight and projected positive impact on the company’s bottom line.

“I’m excited about how in shape Mayweather is,” he said. “I saw him in his gym a couple of nights ago, and I’m excited about what we have happening in the second half of the year.”

“This could be the second-biggest fight of all time and it will certainly drive millions of people to watch Las Vegas, watch T-Mobile, and watch Mayweather and McGregor. We intend to maximize every $0.01 of profitability opportunity there and we’re working very hard to accomplish that. I think we will be very successful,” he added.

Workers set up at T-Mobile Arena ahead of the weigh-in and bout between boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. and UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor on August 26. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Of course, marquee events usher in visitors who won’t just be spending time in the arena, but littering money all across Vegas. Casino operator Caesars Entertainment (CZR) is one such beneficiary.

“When the city, regardless of where the event is, draws a significant amount of people, it creates compression and we’re all able to raise our rates,” he said during Caesars second-quarter earnings call.

“So, I think if you were to go look at the published rates during the Mayweather-MacGregor week fight, you would see a sizable increase relative to what they were before the fight announced.”

Similarly, Boyd Gaming (BYD) CEO noted in last year’s second-quarter conference call that May 2015, in particular, was an “exceptionally strong month for visitation to Las Vegas, driven by events like the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight and the Rock in Rio festival.”

The pay-per-view reach

While total ticket sales at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena are expected to reach $70 million, that’s not where the massive business opportunity is: the cross-training matchup is anticipated to be “the most distributed fight ever in combat history.”

Ringside seats are still available and will cost you a pretty penny — starting at $1,222 on third-party seller Vivid Seats. Gambling site Bovada estimates that the fight will sell 4.99 million pay-per-views (the record belongs to Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, which surpassed 4.4 million PPV buys).

If you’re looking to watch outside of your home but aren’t feeling the bar scene, movie theaters are an option. Fathom Events and Mayweather Promotions teamed up to broadcast the fight in 485 movie theaters across the country.

“The buzz that my fight against Conor McGregor is getting has been great already, so what better way to watch this larger-than-life event than on the big screen?” said Mayweather. “We brought boxing back to movie theaters eight years ago and it was a huge success, but this event is on a different level.”

The biggest winners of them all?

Showtime, which is owned by CBS (CBS), is producing and distributing the fight and it’s available on pay-per-view for $99.95. You can buy the fight through TV providers like Xfinity, DirecTV, Dish, Spectrum and Fios. (Fios is a Verizon product; Verizon is Yahoo Finance’s parent company.)

It’s the first time that CBS has made a boxing or pay-per-view event available to consumers over-the-top (OTT).

On CBS’ earnings call on Aug. 5, CEO Les Moonves specifically highlighted that the upcoming fight is an area of opportunity to grab new subscribers.

“[This] means that even if you’re not yet a Showtime subscriber, you’ll be able to purchase the fight directly from Showtime’s app or website. Anyone who does will get a free trial to Showtime OTT, which will drive new subs for us as well,” he said.

NeuLion provides the digital video broadcasting, distribution and monetization of UFC TV.

“We have distributed 63,000 live events over the last 12 months and this will be one of our biggest,” NeuLion co-founder and EVP of marketplace strategy Chris Wagner told Yahoo Finance.

The fight will rake in hundreds of millions for Mayweather and McGregor. Meanwhile many gamblers will lose—95% of all bets on the fight have been placed on McGregor given Mayweather is the favorite. But the boon for businesses across the country will be huge, and we’ll be hearing about it long after the final bell rings on fight night.

Melody Hahm is a writer at Yahoo Finance, covering entrepreneurship, technology and real estate. Follow her on Twitter @melodyhahm. 

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Neymar sale inflating Coutinho, Dembele prices - Pique

Gerard Pique believes Barcelona's pursuit of big-money targets Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele have been held up due to the high prices being demanded following Neymar's sale to Paris Saint-Germain.

Barca were caught off guard by PSG's audacious move for the Brazil superstar and turned their attentions to Borussia Dortmund winger Dembele and Liverpool midfielder Coutinho to replace the superstar forward.

Dembele is widely expected to complete his move to Camp Nou, but a deal for Coutinho is proving troublesome with Liverpool playing hardball over their star playmaker.

Barca centre-back Pique has little doubt both players want to join the LaLiga giants and feels that Barca are struggling to complete deals due to the vast outlay they received for Neymar.

"I think players still want to join Barcelona, and they are showing that as is the case with Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele," Pique told reporters at a PokerStars event in Barcelona.

"One by putting in a transfer request and the other with his actions at Dortmund. It suggests that they are both delighted about the idea of coming; they want to come.

"The problem is, we sold Ney and the clubs know we have the money from that, and the market is the way it is. 

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Eden Hazard plays 75 minutes as Chelsea lose to Everton in Premier League 2

Eden Hazard continued his comeback from an ankle injury by playing for 75 minutes as Chelsea's development side lost 3-0 to Everton in Premier League 2.

The winger had a penalty claim turned down in the first half and a shot saved in the second before being replaced in the closing stages by Jacob Maddox when his side were two goals down.

Blues 5/1 to fail to score tomorrow

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte was in attendance for the match in Aldershot, having earlier expressed surprise to see Hazard called up to the Belgium squad despite not being deemed fit enough for the Blues' first team.

Hazard is yet to feature for the Premier League champions this season due to a broken ankle suffered on international duty in June.

The 26-year-old, though, was named by Roberto Martinez for World Cup qualifiers against Gibraltar and Greece and will now be obliged to link up with the national team and undergo an examination by Belgium's medical staff.

He played a behind closed doors friendly match against QPR last week and continued his bid to regain full match sharpness with Friday's lively outing against Everton.

Conte is not considering Hazard for the first-team's match against the Toffees at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Joseph Colley's first-half own goal was followed by strikes from Beni Baningime and Oumar Niasse after the break as Everton claimed victory.

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Barcelona signs Ousmane Dembele, its Neymar replacement in more ways than one

(Photo: Bongarts)

After several weeks of haggling and gossip, Barcelona finally has its Neymar replacement. And if various incentives are ultimately met, Barca could end up paying almost two-thirds of the Neymar fee to procure him.

The replacement is Ousmane Dembele, a 20-year-old French winger widely considered one of the hottest prospects in the world. He has officially joined Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund for a base fee of €105 million “plus add-ons,” according to the club. Those bonuses, according to Dortmund, could bump the initial €105 million up to €147 million.

The €147 million price tag would not only represent 66 percent of the €222 million Barcelona received from PSG for Neymar. It would shatter the transfer record for an under-21 player by a whopping €80 million. The previous record deal was Manchester City’s for Raheem Sterling in 2015.

It is a mind-boggling fee for an insanely talented yet still unpolished player. But it is not an overpay. This is what the market heaped upon Barcelona. The Neymar cash became a burden. The inflated market became a multiplier. Only a select few players in the sport could replace Neymar. Dembele is one if them.

Could does not equal will, and critics will argue that Barcelona paid for will. But it paid for a player whose princely talent cannot be purchased with anything less than a princely sum. Dembele, at 20, already possesses Neymar’s dribbling ability. He already possesses the Brazilian’s open-field pace. And he can play a fine ball into the box as well.

But he is not Neymar. Nobody is. Let’s make that very clear. Dembele is nowhere near the goal threat that his predecessor on the Barca left wing is. He found the net 10 times in 50 appearances for Dortmund. He is an average finisher and not yet an instinctive maneuverer in the penalty area. He has scored fewer professional goals than Neymar scored during the 2014-15 season alone.

But again: He is only 20. He wouldn’t be legal in the United States until May 2018. He has played less than two full seasons in first divisions. His career is nascent, and his talent already prodigious.

That talent, first and foremost, is what will have him tabbed as Barcelona’s Neymar replacement. But it’s not the only thing. Dembele should inhabit Neymar’s old home on the left wing. Like the Brazilian, he will be endowed with the club’s present and future. His is the only transfer fee in the sport’s history comparable to Neymar’s €222 million. And he is the most expensive footballer ever aged 21 or younger, a title Neymar held for two years after his move to Barcelona from Santos in 2013.

It’s no wonder then that the brief transfer saga, which featured both holdout and suspension, has had ripple effects around global soccer. It is a loss but also a windfall for Dortmund, who purchased Dembele from Rennes a year ago for just €15 million. And the French club will profit too – a sell-on clause in last summer’s deal will reportedly net it €20 million.

Other beneficiaries include Christian Pulisic, whose path to regular playing time and perhaps stardom is now clear at Dortmund. But the deal wasn’t kind to everybody: Didier Deschamps was forced to leave Dembele out of his France squad for crucial World Cup qualifiers against the Netherlands and Luxembourg because of the uncertainty surrounding the player’s club future and his lack of match fitness.

And then there is the parallel Philippe Coutinho saga, which remains unresolved. Will the Dembele signing tip it one way or the other? If anything, it would seem to limit Barcelona’s spending power and lessen its need for the Liverpool playmaker. But Barcelona is seemingly too deep in those negotiations to pull itself out. And the skill sets of Coutinho and Dembele are not redundant. Both would fit in a Barcelona starting 11 alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

But only one is officially a Barcelona player, and it’s the one who’s the direct Neymar replacement. Dembele arrives at Camp Nou on a five-year contract with a €400 million release clause. He’ll be the second-most expensive player ever. And he’ll be handed one of the biggest tasks that the sport has ever thrown at a 20-year-old.

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Real Madrid transfer news: The latest & LIVE player rumours from the Bernabeu

HAZARD TO FORCE MADRID MOVE

Eden Hazard Chelsea

Chelsea star Eden Hazard will do everything in his power to force a move to Real Madrid this summer, according to Don Balon.

The Belgium international has seen his name linked to both the Merengue and Barcelona in the current transfer window. 

And as Madrid struggle to close a deal for Kylian Mbappe, they have returned to Hazard - who can count Blancos coach Zinedine Zidane among his admirers.

KOVACIC AGREES TO LIVERPOOL MOVE

Mateo Kovacic Real Madrid Real Sociedad LaLiga 29012016

Real Madrid midfielder Mateo Kovacic has verbally agreed to join Liverpool, according to Diario Gol via Daily Mirror .

The Reds have apparently spoken to the Croatia international about a move to Anfield, with the 23-year-old potentially replacing Philippe Coutinho, should he join Barcelona.

€500M RELEASE CLAUSE FOR ASENSIO

Marco Asensio Real Madrid Barcelona Supercopa 16082017

Real Madrid want to reward Marco Asensio with a new contract until 2023 and increase his buy-out clause to €500 million, according to Marca.

Asensio has been linked with a move to Arsenal, but Madrid are determined to ward off any interest with a new deal which will also bump his salary up to €4.5m a year.

MADRID REJECT €75M KOVACIC BID

Mateo Kovacic Real Madrid Real Sociedad LaLiga 29012016

Real Madrid have rejected a €75 million offer for Mateo Kovacic from Juventus, according to AS.

Juventus have been looking to improve their midfield options this summer, but were told by Madrid that Kovacic is not for sale and have since completed a deal to sign Blaise Matuidi from Paris Saint-Germain.

MADRID PLAN £46M DE GEA BID

HD David de Gea Manchester United ICC

Real Madrid are planning a bid of around £46 million for Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea, according to  The Sun .

The Spanish giants have long been admirers of the Spain international and are hopeful they can finally get their man before the summer transfer window shuts.

Blancos boss Zinedine Zidane has decided against signing a big-money outfield player following an encouraging pre-season and will instead now turn his attention to De Gea.

MADRID TO HIJACK SANCHEZ MOVE

Davinson Sanchez Ajax

Real Madrid are ready to swoop in and hijack Tottenham's move for Ajax centre-back Davinson Sanzhez, according to Don Balon .

The Colombian has appeared set for a move to north London in recent days, but Madrid president Florentino Perez is ready to bid for the 21-year-old who drew rave reviews for his performances last season.

ASENSIO IN 'EMERGENCY TALKS' OVER ARSENAL MOVE

Marco Asensio Eibar Real Madrid LaLiga 04032017

Real Madrid midfielder Marco Asensio will hold emergency talks with his club over a potential move to Arsenal, The Mirror reports.

The Gunners are willing to match the player's £72 million release clause, yet the Spain international, who is also being watched by Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Barcelona, but if the Spaniards offer him an improved contract he would be willing to stay.

Galacticos 10/11 to win La Liga

MBAPPE SIGNS FOR PSG... AND WILL COST MORE THAN NEYMAR

Kylian Mbappe Monaco

Paris Saint-Germain have secured the signing of Kylian Mbappe from Monaco in a deal worth €200m (£173m), The Times reports.

The Ligue 1 giants spent €220m matching Neymar's buy-out clause in a world-record deal to sign the Brazil international from Barcelona a fortnight ago, yet this move will eventually excede that due to performance-related bonuses.

Real Madrid had thought they had secured the 18-year-old.

REAL TO FIGHT BARCA FOR DEMBELE

Ousmane Dembele Borussia Dortmund

Real Madrid are aiming to beat Barcelona to the signing of Borussia Dortmund striker Ousmane Dembele, according to RAC-1 .

Dembele has refused to train with Dortmund and is keen to join Barcelona as a replacement for Neymar, but Madrid are hoping to nip in and seal a deal.

Madrid are keen to use their positive relationship with Dortmund to agree a deal, and are prepared to include a player as part of the package.

MAN UTD WON'T BUDGE ON BALE BID

Gareth Bale Real Madrid UEFA Super Cup

Manchester United will not go above £90 million in a bid to bring Gareth Bale back to the Premier League, according to Dario Gol . 

The former Spurs star cost Madrid £86m and the club would like to make a large profit off of him. 

ISCO SIGNS NEW MADRID DEAL

Isco Real Madrid

Isco has inked a new five-year deal with Real Madrid, according to AS .

The contract includes a massive €700 million release clause. 

BARCA TO BID FOR ASENSIO

Marco Asensio Real Madrid Bayern Munich UCL 18042017

Real Madrid playmaker Marco Asensio is a target for arch-rivals Barcelona, according to Diario Gol , with the Catalan club prepared to meet his £72 million buy-out clause.

Barca continue to explore several options as they prepare to put the money generated by Neymar's record-breaking sale to Paris Saint-Germain to good use.

MBAPPE SET FOR €180M MOVE

Kylian Mbappe Monaco

Monaco sensation Kylian Mbappe is set to sign for Paris Saint-Germain in a €180 million transfer, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport .

The French teenager, who has had a stellar 2017, will snub Real Madrid and Manchester City to join Neymar in paris and become the second-most expensive footballer in history.

MOU PUSHING FOR £100M BALE BID

Gareth Bale Real Madrid MLS All Stars

Jose Mourinho has urged Manchester United to make a £100 million bid for Real Madrid star Gareth Bale, according to The Sun .

Despite publicly giving up on a move for the former Spurs player, the Portuguese manager still believes that there is a chance that a large bid could temp the Spanish side to sale as long as they were left with time to find a replacement, with Bale to be tempted by a £500,000-a-week contract. 

HAZARD TO PUSH FOR MADRID

Eden Hazard

Eden Hazard is ready to push for a move away from Chelsea and realise his ambition of playing for Real Madrid, reports Don Balon .

The Belgium international is currently nursing an ankle injury, but Antonio Conte recently conceded that there is little he can do to prevent a transfer if Real or Barcelona come calling.

PSG PLOTTING MBAPPE BID

Kylian Mbappe Monaco

Paris Saint-Germain are ready to make a move to partner record signing Neymar with Monaco forward Kylian Mbappe, reports Le Parisien .

The French giants are prepared to spend another £161 million on the talented teenager, fending off interest from Real Madrid and Manchester City along the way, with it possible that Angel Di Maria could be sold to help finance an approach.

CHELSEA MOVE IN FOR BALE

Gareth Bale Real Madrid

Chelsea have become a serious player in the race to lure Gareth Bale away from Real Madrid, according to the Sunday Express .

The former Tottenham star could be on his way out of the Spanish club, with Kylian Mbappe's potential move from Monaco making a move away for the Welshman even more likely. 

Manchester United have long been interested in Bale, but the Blues have now stepped up their interest with Florentino Perez believed to be willing to make a deal for around £90 million, which would go a long way in funding a move for Mbappe. 

BALE ASSURED OF REAL FUTURE

UEFA Team of the Year Gareth Bale

Gareth Bale has been assured that he has a future at Real Madrid, according to The Guardian .

The Wales international has been linked with a move to Manchester United, but Real want him to stay put as they are ready to wait until 2018 before moving for Monaco forward Kylian Mbappe.

MADRID WANT DE GEA FOR BALE

David de Gea Manchester United

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is willing to negotiate with Man Utd over a transfer for Gareth Bale if the Red Devils include David De Gea in any talks, Spanish outlet Don Balon  claims.

It has been reported that Bale's position in the team is not assured under Zinedine Zidane, with Jose Mourinho allegedly waiting in the wings to pounce with a £90 million offer for the former Tottenham man.

BALE WANTS MAN UTD MOVE

Gareth Bale Real Madrid

Gareth Bale has told Real Madrid team-mate Luka Modric that he wants to return to the Premier League with Manchester United, reports Don Balon .

The former Tottenham forward has been linked with the Red Devils for some time, with a possible £90 million switch being mooted.

ZIDANE WANTS MBAPPE TO REPLACE BALE

Kylian Mbappe Monaco

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane is interesting in signing Monaco's Kylian Mbappe, but only after Gareth Bale is sold, according to Marca .

Zidane does not believe that Mbappe and Bale can both fit into his attack at Santiago Bernabeu, and is looking to offload the Wales international before brining in the teenager.

KLOPP IN CONTACT WITH MBAPPE

Kylian Mbappe Monaco

Jurgen Klopp has kept in close contact with Kylian Mbappe as Liverpool remain in the chase to sign him, L'Equipe   claims.

The 18-year-old striker has reportedly told Monaco that he wants to leave, with Real Madrid, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona linked with him.

However, Klopp has stayed in touch since he tried to convince the France international to move to Anfield in May and they have not yet been ruled out.

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