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Looks like boxing’s funeral can wait! Netflix hosted not one, but two high-profile fights on November 15, headlined by Jake Paul against the legendary Mike Tyson and co-headlined by Amanda Serrano against Katie Taylor.
The result? A whopping 1.43 million new subscribers, according to data company Antenna. That small (or large, depending on your perspective) number marks the largest single-day subscriber acquisition event Netflix has seen since at least 2019.
For Netflix’s Paul vs. Tyson fight, Antenna saw 1.43 million subscriptions over a 3-day period. Regular large spikes in programming-related acquisitions are common among many streamers, but not so for Netflix, which generally has a constant rate of subscriptions with minimal day-to-day variation. (23) pic.twitter.com/Xnw6cBjwjo
– Antenna (@AntennaData) December 16, 2024
Jake Paul and Mike Tyson: the main act of the circus
Sure, it was a 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 want, but it attracted viewers. The event reached a peak of 108 million eyeballs in 60 million homes worldwide. dead sportgood? It seems like Netflix knows exactly what people will tune into, even if they won’t admit it in public.
Amanda Serrano against Katie Taylor: the card that was not
While the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson showdown grabbed all the headlines, the co-main event, Amanda Serrano vs. Katie Taylor, quietly racked up 75 million viewers worldwide. Not bad for a “side billboard.” Apparently, women’s boxing isn’t just surviving, it’s thriving! It’s almost as if Netflix thought, “Why not go for two fights at once?” If one fails, the other could cover for him.” Spoiler alert: They both did it!
Streaming chaos reaches record numbers
Let’s not sugarcoat it: the broadcast was a disaster for some viewers. Freezing screens, buffering, and glitches caused thousands of people to complain louder than a front-row speaker.
The march towards more live sports
With 282 million subscribers already, you’d think Netflix wouldn’t bother courting new people. But top brass discovered a new goose that lays the golden egg in live sports. How convenient. Next up on the streamer’s huge schedule are two exclusive NFL games on Christmas Day. If you thought the boxing fiasco was a major subscription magnet, wait until Netflix promotes top-tier Christmas football. This turn toward sports is as subtle as a heavyweight’s knockout blow.
A “dead” sport, revived just in time
For years, cynics have praised boxing, saying it has no fans, no publicity and no glamour. But in a world where YouTube personalities take on old pros, 1.43 million new signups apparently say otherwise. One can’t help but admire the clear synergy: Netflix gets to boast “unprecedented” numbers while promoting the next big event, and boxing gets a convenient PR boost.
So is boxing really dead? Netflix surely hopes not. They’re banking on the sweet science to drive big payouts and even bigger subscription increases. Whether or not those 1.43 million newbies stick around remains to be seen, but for now, the streamer is treating these metrics like the second coming of Ali vs. Frazier. Cynics may roll their eyes, but Netflix? They are gaining new subscribers.
