Canelo vs Crawford : Riyadh Season’s MegaFight curtain raiser. ACTDIVATE projects a $600m incremental opportunity boost for Las Vegas businesses this weekend

11 Sept

Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford face-off ready to bring the heat to the sold out Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas this weekend to promote Riyadh Season.

Crawford vs. Canelo Megafight in Las Vegas to Generate Nearly $1B Economic Impact as Part of Riyadh Season Global Expansion

Las Vegas, USA – September 2025 – Las Vegas is preparing for one of the biggest weekends in its sporting history as Terence Crawford and Canelo Álvarez face off in a historic boxing clash staged under the banner of Riyadh Season’s global expansion.

More than a fight, the Crawford vs. Canelo showdown is expected to be an economic powerhouse for Las Vegas, drawing tens of thousands of additional visitors and creating a surge in spending across hotels, dining, retail, transport, and entertainment.

Fight Weekend Visitation Surge

According to projections by ACTDIVATE, a real-time Event Intelligence platform, the fight is set to drive a +26% uplift in total visitation to Las Vegas compared to a typical weekend.

  
    Category
    Estimated Visitors
  
    Normal Weekend (Fri–Sun)
    345,000
  
    Fight Attendance (Direct)
    65,000
  
    Spillover & Extended Visitors
    26,000
  
    Total Incremental Visitors
    91,000
  
    Projected Fight Weekend Total
    436,000

Fight Weekend Economic Impact projected through ACTDIVATE’s Event Intelligence Lens

The projected uplift in visitation translates into nearly $1 billion in local economic activity, with the single fight weekend expected to deliver an incremental $614M boost for surrounding Las Vegas businesses.

  
    Category
    Normal Weekend ($)
    Fight Weekend ($)
    Incremental Uplift ($)
    Uplift %
  

    Accommodation
    $120.8M
    $198.4M
    $77.6M
    +64%
  

    Food & Beverage
    $94.9M
    $179.9M
    $85.0M
    +90%
  

    Transport & Mobility
    $39.7M
    $80.2M
    $40.5M
    +102%
  

    Retail & Experiences
    $31.1M
    $78.5M
    $47.4M
    +153%
  

    Events & Tickets
    $89.7M
    $453.4M
    $363.7M
    +406%
  

    Total Economic Impact
    $376.1M
    $990.4M
    $614.3M
    +163%
  

Turning Event Intelligence into Actual Economic Impact for your business

How local businesses use ACTDIVATE’s Event Intelligence

With more than 436,000 visitors expected in Las Vegas for fight weekend, businesses can use this intelligence to be ensure they plan to take full advantage of the increased footfall.

Know when to expect Demand Surges – Know when to anticipate for peaks in visitor traffic around the event itself for restaurants & ride share and if you are a hotel or retail look to take advantage of this through the whole weekend.
Optimize Staffing – align workforce scheduling to high-traffic hours, ensuring you have enough resource to flip tables and service customers faster to maximise revenue.
Dynamic Pricing – adjust room rates, dining menus, rideshare fares, and retail promotions in real time. Don’t just surge/price based on what you traditionally only see.
Targeted Marketing – deliver tactical laser targeted location-based offers to fight fans and spillover visitors as they move across the Strip.
Inventory Management – stock high-demand items (F&B, merchandise, transport capacity) ahead of surge periods.
Customer Experience – reduce wait times, prevent service bottlenecks, and capture repeat business through better preparation.
Traffic Management– Government services ensure you avoid congestion bottlenecks, by putting on more public transportation, law enforcement and road diversions to keep traffic/people moving.

Riyadh Season: Extending Entertainment Beyond Borders

Riyadh Season has rapidly established itself as one of the world’s largest cultural and entertainment festivals, drawing millions of visitors annually to Saudi Arabia. By staging the Crawford vs. Canelo megafight in Las Vegas, Riyadh Season is exporting its brand of world-class entertainment, bridging continents while generating shared prosperity for partner cities.

“This event goes beyond a fight fans wildest dream —it’s a billion-dollar catalyst for the Las Vegas economy,” said Ian Clark, Director of Partnerships at ACTDIVATE. “By harnessing event intelligence, local businesses can optimize pricing, staffing, and promotions to fully capture this surge.”

From the Strip to the World Stage

With an expected 436,000 visitors and nearly $1B in projected economic impact, the Crawford vs. Canelo megafight stands as a milestone in Riyadh Season’s mission to bring its global entertainment vision to new markets. From Las Vegas to Riyadh and beyond, the brand is reshaping how the world experiences sports, culture, and live entertainment.

For more information or to book a demo of ACTDIVATE’s Event Intelligence platform, visit:https://actdivate.com/book-a-demo

Seth Shenbanjo