Silva vs. Weidman PPV buys estimated at 550,000
Although Anderson Silva is a big PPV draw, it helps to have a well-known opponent, something he didn’t have UFC…
Although Anderson Silva is a big PPV draw, it helps to have a well-known opponent, something he didn’t have UFC 162, and therefore the PPV buys for UFC 162 were a bit lower than expected:
While not reaching quite the levels that Dana White projected from trending patterns the night of the show, UFC 162, which featured Chris Weidman ending Anderson Silva’s record setting win streak and taking his middleweight title, now looks to have done about 550,000 buys on pay-per-view based on industry sources.
The number would be in the same realm as UFC 159, on April 27, headlined by Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen for the light heavyweight title battling for the second-biggest number so far this year. UFC’s high point was UFC 158, on March 16, headlined by Georges St-Pierre’s welterweight title defense against Nick Diaz, which is estimated at doing 950,000 buys.
The number indicates that the Chael Sonnen series significantly elevated Silva as a drawing card on pay-per-view, where he’d have to now be considered No. 2 behind St-Pierre. As a comparison with Jon Jones, Jones pulled his number with Sonnen, a far better known fighter than Weidman, and a fight that also had the benefit of the exposure of an Ultimate Fighter season promotion.
It’s also well above the estimated 410,000 buys for Silva’s fight with Stephan Bonnar in October, although that was a non-title fight at light heavyweight.