Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson: 60 million households viewed first Netflix boxing main event
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Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson was already one of the most discussed fights of the year, and now, it may be one of the most observed combat sports events in history.
On Saturday, Netflix disclosed that a remarkable 60 million households tuned in to watch Paul defeat the former heavyweight champion, who was making his comeback to action in a professional fight for the first time in nearly 20 years. The 58-year-old Tyson managed to last all eight rounds, but it was Paul who ultimately claimed the unanimous decision triumph in the end.
The event also generated possibly the most-watched women’s bout in history, with nearly 50 million viewers tuning in for the co-main event between Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor.
While the viewership statistics were astonishing, Netflix faced streaming troubles throughout the event, with many users complaining they were unable to actually watch the fights due to connection difficulties. It’s likely that the total count of viewers for the historic event could have been even greater without those problems.
In addition to the massive streaming audience for the fight, Paul vs. Tyson also produced a revenue just over $18 million, which is the highest ever for a combat sports occasion in Texas. There were a total of 72,300 spectators in attendance for the event, which took place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington — the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.
The clash between Paul and Tyson was the first boxing match to be streamed live on Netflix with the fight being made available at no added charge to 282 million global subscribers.
Considering the immense success of this event, it’s hard to imagine Netflix won’t plan to stay in the combat sports business moving ahead.
Netflix just recently secured a massive 10-year, $5 billion agreement to land WWE’s flagship show Monday Night Raw, which premieres there in January. With the UFC’s broadcast rights contract with ESPN ending in 2025, it’s entirely plausible that Netflix becomes a competitor, especially given the enormous return on investment with Paul vs. Tyson on Friday.