Netflix breaks record with Mike Tyson and Jake Paul fight
Netflix hit a record high with its coveted fight between Mike Tyson and Logan Paul at the weekend as huge viewership numbers and upcoming events in the schedule promise to boost the platform’s stock in the coming weeks.
During the fight, YouTube star-turned-boxer Paul stepped out in front of 80,000 people at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, to go head-to-head with Tyson, following months of delays in part due to Tyson’s health uncertainties.
Following the fight, the streaming giant confirmed it accrued viewers from more than 60 million households, which peaked at 65 million streams worldwide during the main fight. Around 50 million households also tuned in for the Amanda Serrano versus Katie Taylor fight at the same venue.
Netflix also recently announced that Beyoncé will perform during its NFL Christmas Gameday live on December 25th, during the second of its games of Houston Texans against the Baltimore Ravens at NRG Stadium.
As the streamer continues to provide coverage of popular sporting events, the fight between Tyson and Paul proved to be more than a success, with viewing figures that accrued around $18 million in ticket sales — reportedly the second largest in boxing history outside Las Vegas.
However, the broadcast also suffered several technical difficulties during its stream, which caused some loss in viewership during crucial moments when it began to buffer. Still, this didn’t seem to impact the output too much, as Netflix soon issued a statement about the “shattered records” they achieved following the broadcast.
“60 million households around the world tuned in live to watch Paul vs. Tyson!” The streamer said in the statement, adding, “The boxing mega-event dominated social media, shattered records, and even had our buffering systems on the ropes.”
Tyson also posted a message of gratitude on his social media page, saying, “This is one of those situations when you lost but still won. I’m grateful for last night No regrets to get in ring one last time. I almost died in June. Had 8 blood transfusions.”
Over the Christmas period, the streamer is expected to continue to experience a significant stock rise, with two NFL games scheduled to roll out and fans already feeling the excitement from the recent fight.