Netflix’s Jake Paul – MIke Tyson Fight Attracts 1.43 Million New Subscribers!

Looks like boxing’s funeral can wait! Netflix hosted not one but two high-profile brawls on November 15, headlined by Jake Paul vs. the legendary Mike Tyson, and co-starring Amanda Serrano vs. Katie Taylor.

The result? A whopping 1.43 million new subscribers, according to data company Antenna. This small (or large, depending on your point of view) number represents the largest single-day subscriber acquisition event Netflix has seen since at least 2019.

For Netflix’s Paul-Tyson fight, Antenna recorded 1.43 million sign-ups over a 3-day period. Regular spikes in programming acquisitions are common with many streaming companies, but not so for Netflix which typically enjoys a steady rate of subscriptions with minimal variation day to day. (2/3) pic.twitter.com/Xnw6cBjwjo

– Antenna (@AntennaData) December 16, 2024

Jake Paul and Mike Tyson: Master Circus Act

It sure was a spectacle – Jake Paul, the social media star, and Mike Tyson, the living legend who probably shouldn’t be competing in 2024. Call it what you will, but it captivated viewers. The event peaked at 108 million eyeballs across 60 million homes worldwide. Dead sportright? Netflix seems to know exactly what people will tune into, even if they won’t admit it publicly.

Amanda Serrano vs. Katie Taylor: The undercard that wasn’t

While the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson bout grabbed all the headlines, the co-main event — Amanda Serrano vs. Katie Taylor — quietly garnered 75 million viewers worldwide. Not bad for an “undercard.” Apparently, women’s boxing is not only surviving, it’s thriving! It’s as if Netflix thought, “Why not gamble on two battles at once? If one fails, the other might cover it.” Spoiler alert: They both succeeded!

Broadcast chaos meets record numbers

Let’s not sugarcoat it: The broadcast was a mess for some viewers. Frozen screens, buffering, and technical glitches had thousands complaining louder than hecklers at ringside.

The march towards more live sports

With 282 million subscribers already in the bag, you might think Netflix wouldn’t care about attracting new people. But the big brass has discovered a new golden goose in live sports. How convenient. Next on the streamer’s lavish calendar are two exclusive NFL games on Christmas Day. If you thought the boxing fiasco was a major attraction for subscriptions, just wait until Netflix tops the football holiday. This shift in the sport is no less subtle than a heavyweight knockout.

A “dead” sport, revived at the right time

For years, cynics have praised boxing, saying it doesn’t have the crowds, the hype, or the glamour. But in a world where YouTube personalities compete with old pros, 1.43 million new subscribers seem to say otherwise. One can’t help but admire this remarkable synergy: Netflix boasts “unprecedented” numbers while promoting the next big event, and boxing gets a convenient PR jolt.

So, is boxing really dead? Netflix certainly hopes not. They rely on the beautiful science that fuels big paydays and further increased subscriptions. It remains to be seen whether or not those 1.43 million starters will stick around, but for now, streamers are treating these metrics like the second coming of Ali vs. Frazier. Cynics may roll their eyes, but Netflix? They are joining new subscribers.