Netflix: 60m homes watch Tyson vs Paul live
November 18, 2024
By Nik Roseveare

Netflix has reported that 60 million households watched the Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson main event live around the world, peaking at 65 million concurrent streams.
Nearly 50 million households globally tuned in live for the co-main event featuring a rematch between Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor. Additionally, the bout is likely to be the most watched professional women’s sporting event in US history.
Joe Hand Promotions, the specialist in premium live sports and entertainment programming for the out-of-home market, also distributed the event to over 6,000 bars & restaurants in the US, setting the record for commercial distribution of a combat sports event in the company’s 50+ year history.
#PaulTyson was the No. 1 trending topic worldwide on X on November 15th with #Serrano at No. 2 in the US, Brazil, Spain, and Canada. The fight dominated social conversation, accounting for 11 of the Top 11 trending topics in the US.
The main event streamed live at around 4am on November 16th in the UK, and saw Paul defeat Tyson via a points decision after the eight round bout.
The event achieved the following records:
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- Paul vs Tyson and Taylor vs. Serrano 2 is the biggest boxing gate outside of Las Vegas in US history.
- Paul vs Tyson gate has surpassed $18 million, double the previous Texas gate record for combat sports in both boxing and MMA, topping Canelo Álvarez’s record of $9 million.
- Netflix and Most Valuable Promotions made AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the epicenter of boxing history last night as an astounding 72.3k total attendees gathered to witness the historic Paul vs Tyson and Taylor vs Serrano 2 fight card.
Some Netflix viewers reported experiencing buffering issues on the service – particularly in the US – whilst many said they simply couldn’t get onto it, with thousands venting their frustrations on social media platforms. Netflix declined to comment on the technical glitches. Netflix has advised that additional viewership information, including total viewers (ie non-live), will be released shortly.
Reacting to the technical issues, Dan Goman, Ateliere Creative Technologies CEO, commented: The digital streaming landscape continues to evolve, bringing unparalleled convenience and innovative content to consumers. However, recent high-profile streaming issues – such as those reported by Netflix during the Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul fight—highlight a persistent challenge: overcoming technical hurdles that the cable industry had years to refine.”
“One of the most likely culprits behind Netflix’s streaming difficulties is a Content Delivery Network (CDN) issue. CDNs are crucial for delivering content efficiently to a global audience, particularly during high-demand events. Netflix, known for its technological sophistication, has invested heavily in its own proprietary CDN, Netflix Open Connect, to optimise on-demand streaming. However, it remains unclear whether this CDN is being utilised for live streaming or if a different infrastructure is in place. This raises important questions about the readiness and scalability of current streaming services, including Netflix, to handle live, high-profile events.”
“The issue of scalability, particularly during surges in demand for live content, is a hurdle streaming platforms must overcome. Traditional cable providers, with decades to optimise their infrastructure, largely solved these challenges. Streaming services, by contrast, are navigating these complexities with far less time to mature their technologies. It’s also important to acknowledge that streaming, as a medium, is still relatively new. These ‘kinks’ are part of the growing pains associated with a rapidly evolving industry. As more platforms venture into live and interactive offerings, having the right technology is critical. Ensuring a seamless experience during high-stakes events like this requires robust, next-generation solutions capable of handling unpredictable demand spikes.”
“What’s particularly notable in this case is that Netflix, widely regarded as a leader in streaming technology, has encountered such challenges. If even Netflix struggles with live event streaming despite its proprietary CDN and years of innovation, other platforms that lag behind in technological sophistication are likely to face even greater challenges. The key takeaway for the industry is clear: pay attention to your technology stack. Streaming providers must ensure their business strategies are tightly aligned with technology investments to meet the ever-increasing expectations of consumers,” he concluded.
PlumResearch, which says its data “goes beyond Netflix’s household data”, revealed detailed about the streaming event:
· The show was not a 15 minute spectacle, with the majority (75 per cent) of live audiences, watching the undercard as well as the main event.
· Europe saw the greatest tendency to watch just the main event, with over half (56 per cent) of live audiences (21 million) choosing to skip most of the undercard matches.
· The US saw the largest audiences with 20.6 million unique viewers watching live and 29 millin VOSDAL.
· US viewers were more likely to stay for the duration of the broadcast, with completion rates around 80 per cent.
· Including the 20 hours following the broadcast, PlumResearch saw a total of 143 million unique viewers globally engage with the content.
Research Director Jonathan Broughton commented: “The raw results are strong. This event marks a key moment for Netflix as it enters live sports. A refusal for audiences to engage, and in particular a refusal to engage live, as observed with the Netflix Cup and Slam, could have necessitated a rethink around live sports strategy. Our data shows broad global reach amidst varied viewing behaviours. If just 3 per cent of the live audience were new subscribers, based on lifetime value estimates, Netflix could net approximately half a billion dollars from this event.”
Crucially, viewership didn’t end when the boxing match concluded. While PlumResearch recorded 88 million unique viewers during the live event, this number grew significantly after the fight. Including the 20 hours following the broadcast, which saw a total of 143 million unique viewers globally, meaning roughly 62 per cent of viewers watched live or near-live, while 38 per cent chose to catch up after the event.
“Despite significant time differences, audiences generally showed strong engagement, with European, and UK engagement with the main event exceeding expectations,” added Broughton.