Oh great, just what we all needed: a fight between a YouTuber and a retired heavyweight champion. And guess what? People actually tuned in. A staggering 60 million households globally decided to watch Jake Paul punch a 58-year-old Mike Tyson in the face, making it one of Netflix’s biggest live events to date. AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas was the epicenter of this spectacle, peaking at 65 million concurrent streams—a record Netflix is all too happy to brag about. The streamer keeps dipping its toes into live events, and this latest freak show might just be another notch on its belt.
The event was basically a carnival, but did it really surprise anyone? After eight rounds, Paul, 27, was somehow awarded victory over Tyson by unanimous decision. Yes, you read that right. The YouTube kid beat Iron Mike. Sure, Tyson’s 58 and probably more familiar with CBD gummies than training gloves these days, but let’s not dwell. The Paul-Tyson fight was sold as a generational clash, with Netflix banking on the absurdity of pitting a social media loudmouth against a living boxing legend. And audiences, desperate for anything that looks like chaos, ate it up.
Meanwhile, Netflix couldn’t help but pat itself on the back for the co-main event—a rematch between Katie Taylor and Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano. That fight, which drew 50 million households globally, may go down as the most-watched professional women’s sporting event in U.S. history. Taylor won again, by a “controversial unanimous decision,” meaning the judges were probably as consistent as your Wi-Fi during a Netflix live broadcast. But hey, controversy sells.
Breaking Records Beyond Las Vegas
In Netflix’s self-congratulatory press release, they made sure to mention that the Paul vs. Tyson and Taylor vs. Serrano 2 combo became the highest-grossing boxing gate ever outside Las Vegas. $18 million in total gate revenue—double the previous Texas gate record held by Canelo Álvarez’s $9 million. Not bad for a YouTuber whose boxing credentials are somewhere between “unproven” and “still just a YouTuber” and a retired legend who last fought competitively when dial-up internet was still a thing.
The rest of the card? Sure, there was a battle for the WBC welterweight title between Mario Barrios and Abel Ramos that ended in a split draw—because of course it did—and Neeraj Goyat defeated Whindersson Nunes via unanimous decision. If you don’t recognize those names, don’t worry, you’re not alone. It was a full night of punching and drama, perfect for those who love seeing people get hurt but have no clue about the sport itself.
Netflix’s Bold Move into Live Sports
Netflix wants to be everything, and that includes jumping into the live event fray. From Joe Rogan and Chris Rock’s live specials to gimmicky sports events like “The Netflix Cup” golf tournament and “The Netflix Slam” tennis match, the streaming giant has been throwing whatever it can at the wall to see what sticks. And judging by the viewership numbers, millions of people are willing to follow Netflix down this road, even if it’s filled with potholes and “buffering” signs.
Which brings us to the glaring problem: Netflix still can’t figure out how to broadcast live content without glitching like it’s 2007. The Paul-Tyson fight was no exception, with viewers left yelling at their screens thanks to lagging and buffering. Oh, and let’s not forget the cherry on top—Netflix “accidentally” broadcasted a shot of Mike Tyson’s bare ass during the event. A true testament to their technical prowess. Remember the “Love Is Blind” live reunion disaster? Same vibe. The show that was supposed to be live ended up airing the next day after Netflix completely bungled the stream. Honestly, you’d think a company worth billions could manage a basic live stream, but here we are. Netflix is still learning how to live in real time.
Trying to compare Paul vs. Tyson to other Netflix live events is like trying to compare a dumpster fire to a backyard bonfire—different scales of the same thing. Joe Rogan’s stand-up special made the English-language Global Top 10 for two weeks, managing 2.5 million views in its first week and 2.9 million in the second. Chris Rock’s special racked up 17.79 million hours watched in its debut week, which sounds impressive until you realize it’s still a fraction of what 60 million people tuning in for two grown men to punch each other looks like.
Netflix’s live event future includes two NFL games on Christmas Day and WWE’s “Raw” set to join in January. It sounds ambitious—because it is—but whether they can figure out how to actually stream these events without imploding remains to be seen. For now, Netflix seems content riding the wave of “any publicity is good publicity.” Technical issues? Controversial decisions? No problem, millions are watching anyway, glitchy streams and all.
