JEFF Horn?s ?Battle of Brisbane?? triumph over Manny Pacquiao attracted more global attention to the city than the G20 meeting of world leaders.
Analysis by Brisbane marketing of the impact of last month?s world welterweight title fight at Suncorp Stadium shows it generated a thumping $354 million worth of international online media coverage.
That?s almost double the $180 million created by 2014 G20 Leaders Summit, which brought then-US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and other political heavyweights, to town.
The success of the boxing bout, which also delivered a huge economic boom to the city with hotels packed for the weekend, has whetted the appetite for a rematch, again at Suncorp, later this year.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the event delivered ??a massive win?? for the state. ?I know that Queensland is the best state to hold this much-anticipated rematch and we are continuing our discussions with the promoters.??
Promoter Dean Lonergan said talks were ?well advanced?? and he was hoping for a firm date soon. ?Early December is now the likely date,?? he said.
Pacquiao has asked Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte if he can be granted concessions from his duties as a Senator in the lead-up to taking on Horn in a bid to reclaim his crown.
The 11-time world champion had to fit his training regimen for the first fight around his parliamentary duties, meaning he often didn?t get to the gym to spar until midnight. The Pacquiao camp believes his interrupted program contributed to his defeat.
There is also a major concern in The Philippines with the threat of ISIS. Martial law could be implemented within the next month to combat the spread of ISIS and this would play a role in Pacquiao?s parliamentary commitments.
The first fight featured in 31,000 online international news articles, with about in 20 mentioning Brisbane in the headline. It was telecast live to 94 million ESPN subscribers, making it the highest rated US cable TV boxing event in a decade and ESPN?s most-streamed ever.
?This level of exposure is invaluable in raising awareness and helping people see our city as a destination for live sporting events and entertainment,? Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said.
Hotels were packed as fight fans flooded the city for the weekend with occupancy levels across Brisbane at 90 per cent for the Friday night, 96 per cent t on the Saturday and 79 per cent for the Sunday.
That was up to 44 per cent higher than the same time the previous year and revenue was up to 81 per cent greater.
More than 32,000 people visited the Queensland Art Gallery and GoMA across the two days as families made a weekend of it.
Tourism Minister Kate Jones said the ?Battle of Brisbane?? pumped about $25 million directly into the local economy.
?But more than that it underlined Queensland?s reputation as Australia?s premier events destination,? Ms Jones said.
?The event was a huge driver for visitation, with more than 37 per cent of the attendees travelling from outside Queensland, including 11 per cent internationally.?
