The boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson and streamed by Netflix has made new records for global streaming viewership and it is considered a victory for the ongoing pivot to streamed sports events.

According to a press release published by the company on Tuesday, the fight not only captivated the interest of a large crowd but also demonstrated the significant power that digital platforms have nowadays to cover high-profile events.

Netflix Claims the Fight Was the Most Watched Streamed Sports Event Ever

The Los Gatos-based streaming giant declared the broadcast the “most-streamed global sporting event ever” as it attracted an eye-popping number of 108 million viewers from multiple corners of the globe.

Meanwhile, the event recorded a peak audience of 65 million concurrent streams – the majority of which came from the United States. According to TVision, a firm that helps collect and parse TV insights from streaming data, the fight drew approximately 56% of all TV viewership in America between midnight and 1 a.m. ET.

Apart from these numbers, Netflix dominated the broadcasting scene in 78 countries including major Latin American markets like Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico and top developed countries like the United States and the United Kingdom.

Meanwhile, the event was ranked in the top 10 titles across 91 countries during the week ending on November 17.

As for the fight itself, Jake Paul, at 27, claimed victory over 58-year-old Mike Tyson by unanimous decision after eight rounds.

Users Report Technical Issues During the Live Event

Despite its record-shattering performance, viewers reported issues while trying to watch the event. Numerous users experienced technical difficulties despite having a good internet connection. Among these problems, the most recurrent included constant buffering, low video quality, and audio issues.

However, the fight still generated significant buzz despite these challenges as Netflix’s social channels reportedly recorded 1.4 billion impressions while the #PaulTyson hashtag dominated the charts as the number one trending topic worldwide on X.

It seems clear that Netflix (NFLX) was not prepared for the significant excitement that the fight produced for boxing fans and its servers may have not been up to the task of hosting this many connections at once.

Apart from the main event, the fight between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano also made history. Their rematch was viewed by 74 million people and became the most-watched event in the annals of professional women’s sports in the United States.

A total of 47 million people, on average, viewed the event in the country, highlighting the growing interest that exists in women’s sports event and its potential to achieve higher levels of recognition and attract large crowds.

Streaming Platforms Have Kept Buying Rights to Stream High-Profile Events

As Netflix and other streaming services continue to invest heavily to secure the rights to stream live sports, events like this may soon become the new standard for how audiences consume this type of content.

Apple, for example, bought the rights to stream Friday Night Baseball on its streaming service and paid $600 million to secure these rights up until 2029. Meanwhile, Roku TV paid $30 million to stream Sunday morning’s MLB games. This content will be available in its ad-supported subscription package.

As for Amazon, its Prime Video streaming service secured a deal with the National Basketball Association (NBA) to stream 66 regular season games. Combined with the rights bought up by Disney’s ESPN and Comcast, the NBA secured a deal worth around $76 billion for the next 11 years.

Finally, Apple (AAPL) made a deal with the Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States to stream all of its matches through its Apple+ subscription.

As it appears evident, streaming platforms are gaining more and more territory when it comes to sports events and some of the most popular services like Netflix may soon secure similar high-profile deals as the cord-cutting trend continues to gain traction.

Tyson and Paul Got Some Juicy Paychecks from the Fight

mike tyson got juicy payday over jake paul fight

Netflix is already gearing up to stream other major events like the NFL doubleheader on Christmas Day and the WWE’s Monday Night Raw next year. Hence, the Tyson-Paul fight was a critical test of the platform’s capabilities.

These technical difficulties may give the platform the chance to improve and strengthen its systems. Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s Chief Content Officer is confident that the company has the ability to handle large-scale events.

Attracting 108 million viewers globally is an impressive feat. However, these numbers still fall short of the magnitudes that certain events typically attract like the NFL’s Super Bowl and the FIFA World Cup final – which reportedly drew over 1 billion viewers globally.

Also read: 80+ Disney Plus Statistics Updated for November 2024

Commercially, the event was equally significant. Both Paul and Tyson reportedly earned ten-figure paydays according to Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian – the event’s producers.

The fight also set a record for the biggest boxing gate in history outside of Nevada, with Joe Hand Promotions estimating more than 1 million viewers from over 6,000 bars and restaurants in the US.

In summary, The Paul-Tyson fight represents more than just a boxing match. It marks a defining moment for sports streaming as it confirms the potential of these platforms to deliver global sporting experiences.