The boost in trade is significant considering the fight was screened late on Saturday night, usually one of the pub trade’s busier evenings.
Punters, according to the research by technology company Vianet and data company MatchPint, were not put off by the starting time of the fight, with pubs taking trade until 6am.
MatchPint app
Consumer interest in the fight and where they could watch it was considerably high, with 310,850 searches on the MatchPint app – the most-searched for event in its history and 8% higher than the Joshua v Klitshcko fight in April.
MatchPint head of operations Robert Stewart said: “Pay-per-view boxing continues to draw massive online attention as sports fans plan ahead to avoid disappointment.
“The youthful make-up of punters searching for fights also gives operators a fantastic opportunity to access a key demographic.”
According to a Sky Sports survey, 99% of sports fans claimed they would return to the pub they had watched live sports in, added Stewart.
Vianet product manager Mark Fewster said: “Our insight shows that operators that showed the fight, and kept their doors open, were rewarded with a big sales boost.
‘Upcoming fight’
“Live sport continues to provide a huge boost to beer sales for operators. With the upcoming fight it is vital that operators focus on their beer quality management to ensure a great experience and get fans to return.”
The data comes ahead of another major bout, featuring Anthony Joshua and Carlos Takam, taking place on Saturday 28 October on Sky Sports Box Office from around 7pm.
Meanwhile, another heavyweight fight between Tony Bellew and David Haye is scheduled for Sunday 17 December at London’s O2 Arena.