It was one of the most highly anticipated sporting events of the year, which, as we have come to see with the likes of the NBA Finals, World Series and Super Bowl, means that traffic on Pornhub was sure to be affected. We teamed up with our friends over at Men’s Health to see exactly how much typical traffic levels fluctuated while Mayweather and McGregor traded blows.
What has come to be called the “Money Fight” began just after midnight Eastern Time, which is right around when we see traffic dipping the most. World traffic was down 12% overall, with staggering 21% and 11% dips in the US and Ireland, Mayweather and McGregor’s respective homelands.
Though the traffic levels in Ireland may seem a little erratic, they can be explained by the likeliness of folks overseas trying to get some extra sleep hours in, in anticipation of waking earlier than usual to tune in to the big fight. We then see traffic there rising to slightly higher than average rates at 4%, since people are up earlier than usual but still waiting for the fight to start, opt to spend some time on their favorite porn site. Following McGregor’s loss however, traffic in Ireland soars to 174% above average levels.
The gender demographics data leading up to, during and following the fight is also rather interesting. Overall, it appears that traffic originating from Pornhub’s male viewers was more affected, with a 23% dip observed at the midnight mark. Female viewership was slightly less affected, with a 14% dip at the same time, comparatively. On the other hand, traffic numbers after the fight rose more significantly among male viewers, peaking at 16% above average levels at 2am.
Our millennial aged viewers were by far the most interested in following the fight, compared to our site users aged 35 and up. Among viewers in the 18-24 and 25-34 age groups, traffic was down by around 26% across the board when the match began around midnight. Overall it seems that interest in the fight demonstrated by traffic dips decreases the higher the age of the viewer. Interestingly though, traffic after the fight increased more drastically among older viewers, with notable 18% and 14% spikes in the 35-44 and 45-54 groups.