Looks like the boxing 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-headliners Amanda Serrano vs. Katy Taylor.
The result? A whopping 1.43 million new subscribers, according to Antenna. That 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, Antena recorded 1.43 million registrations over a 3-day period. Regular big jumps in programming acquisitions are common among many streamers, but not so for Netflix, which typically has a steady sign-up rate with minimal day-to-day variation. (2/3) pic.tvitter.com/Ksnv6cBjvjo
— Antenna (@AntennaData) December 16, 2024
Jake Paul and Mike Tyson: The Main Circus Act
Sure, it was a spectacle—Jake Paul, a social media bully, and Mike Tyson, a 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. A dead sportright? Netflix seems to know exactly what people will tune in to, even if they won’t admit it in public.
Amanda Serrano vs. Katie Taylor: The Undercard That Wasn’t
While the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson matchup grabbed all the headlines, the co-main event — Amanda Serrano vs. Katy Taylor — quietly garnered 75 million viewers worldwide. Not bad for an undercard. Apparently, women’s boxing isn’t just surviving – it’s thriving! It’s almost as if Netflix thought, “Why not gamble on two fights at once?” If one fails, the other could cover it.” Spoiler alert: Both succeed!
Streaming Chaos reaches record numbers
Let’s not overstate it: the stream was a mess for some viewers. Frozen screens, buffering and technological glitches grumbled louder than the merry-go-round to thousands.
The March to More Live Sports
With 282 million subscribers already in the bag, you’d think Netflix wouldn’t be struggling to attract new people. But the big brown has discovered a new golden goose in live sports. How convenient. Next up on the streamer’s grandiose calendar are two exclusive NFL games on Christmas Day. If you thought the boxing fiasco was a major subscription magnet, just wait until Netflix becomes the ultimate holiday football. This twist in the sport is as subtle as a heavyweight knockout punch.
A “dead” sport, revived just in time
For years, cynics have praised boxing, saying it has no audience, hype or glamour. But in a world where YouTube personalities are taking on old pros, apparently 1.43 million new sign-ups say otherwise. One can’t help but admire the nice synergy: Netflix gets to boast “unprecedented” numbers as it headlines the next big event, and boxing gets a convenient PR jolt.
So is boxing really dead? Netflix sure hopes not. They count on the sweet science that drives big paychecks 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 as the second coming of Ali vs. Frazier. Cynics might roll their eyes, but Netflix? They attract new subscribers.