Written by Getty Images for Netflix © 2024
Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson was already one of the most talked about fights of the year, and now, it may be one of the most watched combat sports events in history.
On Saturday, Netflix revealed that a stunning 60 million households tuned into watch Paul defeat the former heavyweight champion, who was making his return to action in a professional fight for the first time in nearly 20 years. The 58-year-old Tyson managed to make it all eight rounds ,but it was Paul who ultimately scored the unanimous decision victory in the end.
The event also produced possibly the most-watched women’s fight in history with nearly 50 million viewers tuning in for the co-main event between Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor.
While the viewership numbers were astounding, Netflix dealt with streaming issues throughout the event with many users complaining they were unable to actually watch the fights due to connection problems. It’s possible that the total number of viewers for the historic event could have been even higher without those problems.
In addition to the huge streaming numbers for the fight, Paul vs. Tyson also produced a gate just over $18 million, which is the highest ever for a combat sports event in Texas. There were a total of 72,300 fans in attendance for the event, which took place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington — the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.
The showdown between Paul and Tyson was the first boxing event to be streamed live on Netflix with the fight being made available at no additional charge to 282 million worldwide subscribers.
Considering the massive success of this event, it’s difficult to imagine Netflix won’t attempt to stay in the combat sports business moving forward.
Netflix just recently inked a huge 10 year, $5 billion deal to land WWE’s flagship show Monday Night Raw, which debuts there in January. With the UFC’s broadcast rights deal with ESPN coming to a close in 2025, it’s entirely possible that Netflix becomes a player, especially considering the huge return on investment with Paul vs. Tyson on Friday.