Source: Stephen McCarthy / Getty
We all know that Mike Tyson and Jake Paul‘s boxing match on Netflix was the talk of the internet for days, probably weeks, leading up to the match, which, depending on who you ask, may or may not have been the impressive spectacle audiences were looking for. No matter how you felt about the fight, which Paul won in a unanimous decision after eight rounds if the matchup’s success is to be measured by how many people watched it, then it was a massive, record-breaking success.
According to Variety, Netflix reported that the event drew 108 million viewers worldwide and was the “most streamed global sporting event ever.”
From Variety:
The event peaked at 65 million concurrent streams, with 38 million concurrent streams in the US. Total viewership AMA estimates are derived from TVision data in the US and first party data in global markets.
The streaming sports event was the top title on Netflix for the week, with 46.6 million views through Sunday night.
Netflix had previously reported that the heavyweight boxing match between Paul and Tyson was viewed by 60 million households globally, while 50 million households globally tuned in live for the co-main event of Serrano vs. Taylor 2. Netflix now says that the Taylor-Serrano fight averaged an estimated 74 million live viewers globally and became the most-watched professional women’s sports event in US history with 47 million AMA in the US.
So, the entire event was a massive success, and, at 58 years old, Tyson earned every cent of the $20 million he made from it. (Paul reportedly made double that amount, which — well, whatever.)
Look, nobody is going to call the fight between Tyson and Paul the greatest sporting event in boxing history or anything like that. Most people seem to agree that Tyson lost to Father Time, not Paul, but the fanfare was and is undeniable, which speaks to what an Icon the former heavyweight champ truly is.
