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 fights on November 15, headlined by Jake Paul vs. the legendary Mike Tyson and co-headlined by Amanda Serrano vs. Katie Taylor.

The result? A whopping 1.43 million new subscribers, according to data firm Antenna. This small number (or large, depending on your perspective) marks the biggest single-day subscriber acquisition event Netflix has seen since at least 2019.

For Netflix’s Paul-Tyson fight, Antenna observed 1.43 million sign-ups over a 3-day period. Regular big spikes in programming-related acquisition are common with many streamers, but not for Netflix, which typically has a steady rate of sign-ups with minimal day-to-day variation. (2/3) pic.twitter.com/Xnw6cBjwjo

— Antenna (@AntennaData) December 16, 2024

Jake Paul and Mike Tyson: The main act of the circus

Sure, it was quite the spectacle: Jake Paul, the social media bully, and Mike Tyson, the living legend who probably shouldn’t be fighting in 2024. Call it what you will, but it drew viewers. The event peaked at 108 million eyeballs in 60 million homes worldwide. dead sportright? Netflix seems to know exactly what people will tune in to, even if it won’t admit it publicly.

Amanda Serrano vs. Katie Taylor: The Undercard That Wasn’t

While the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson showdown grabbed all the headlines, the co-main event, Amanda Serrano vs. Katie Taylor, quietly pulled in 75 million global viewers. Not bad for a “bottom card”. Apparently women’s boxing isn’t just surviving, it’s thriving! It’s almost as if Netflix thought, “Why not play two decks at once? If one fails, the other could cover it.” Spoiler alert: they both made it!

Streaming chaos meets record numbers

Let’s not sugarcoat it: the stream was a disaster for some viewers. Freezing screens, buffering and technological glitches caused thousands of people to grunt louder than a caller.

The March for more live sports

With 282 million subscribers already in the bag, you’d think Netflix wouldn’t bother wooing new people. But the big brass discovered a new golden goose in live sports. How convenient Next up on the streamer’s grand schedule are two exclusive NFL games on Christmas Day. If you thought the boxing fiasco was a major magnet for subscriptions, just wait until Netflix hits holiday football. This pivot to the sport is as subtle as the punch of a heavyweight.

A “dead” sport, revived just in time

For years, cynics have been praising boxing, saying it lacks the audience, the hype or the glam. But in a world where YouTube personalities are pitted against old pros, 1.43 million new records seem to say otherwise. You can’t help but admire the nice synergy: Netflix gets to boast “unprecedented” numbers while promoting the next big event, and boxing gets a comfortable PR jolt.

So is boxing really dead? Netflix hopes not. They’re based on the sweet science that fuels big paydays and even bigger subscription increases. Whether or not those 1.43 million rookies stick remains to be seen, but for now, the streamer is treating those metrics as the second coming of Ali vs. Frazier. Cynics may roll their eyes, but Netflix? They are gaining new subscribers.