YouTubers Logan Paul and KSI fight to draw in boxing match

After months of YouTube drama and diss tracks, KSI and Logan Paul’s boxing match finally took place in Britain’s Manchester Arena on Aug. 25.

The fight featured two of the most popular content creators on YouTube. KSI, who has 19 million subscribers, and Paul, with 18 million, both publicized the fight as the “biggest event in internet history.”

Although the event ended in a draw, the fighters can certainly claim the match as an success. In addition to 21,000 people watching in the Manchester Arena, who paid an average of $180 each, the official livestream on YouTube also boasted over 800,000 viewers, each paying $10 to watch two people, who started training a couple of months ago, punch each other in the face.

No one has disclosed how much money the fighters made from the event, but Business Insider estimates that each YouTuber received around $5.5 million. This is actually an absurd amount of money for two amateurs who probably just trained in their free time. To compare, the average salaries of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighters is less than $500,000 a year.

Earlier this year in February, KSI and Joe Weller fought in  the first ever YouTuber boxing match, in which KSI won and earned around $400,000. The publicity and money generated from this first-event probably led to KSI and Paul’s fight. By having a six-month-long promotional period, both YouTubers were able to rack up views and receive lots of attention.

Since their fight was announced earlier this year, KSI and Paul have engaged in an avalanche of press conferences, traded insults and provided numerous training updates on social media. Before the fight, each walked out to his own diss track targeting the other YouTuber.

KSI and Logan Paul have built their success by sitting in front of a camera. They film, edit and upload videos. So why did they decide to host a boxing match? The answer is that drama with other YouTubers is an essential aspect of both fighters’ business models. With so much money and attention involved, turning this idea into a physical event was all but inevitable.

With months of hype and suspense ultimately leading to a tie, the ending sets up perfectly for a sequel.

“Logan, I think there is only one thing to do. I think we gotta rematch,” KSI said immediately after the fight ended.

Paul responded, “I think it’s what the people want.”