Netflix made its first big leap into live sports streaming with Paul vs. Tyson, the boxing spectacle that featured YouTube star-turned professional boxer Jake Paul vs. the iconic, world-famous boxing legend Mike Tyson. The marquee matchup set records as far as attendance is concerned, as the $17.8+ million gate brought in by Paul vs. Tyson is the highest combat sports gate ever in America outside of Las Vegas. With 70,000 people watching live and the fight streamed to Netflix’s 280 million subscribers around the world, Paul vs. Tyson was one of, if not the most-watched boxing matches of all time.
Despite some streaming issues on the Netflix app, the main event of the night carried plenty of hype due to the popularity of its two competitors. Paul found international fame as a social media content creator, eventually becoming one of the highest-paid YouTube creators of the late 2010s. He parlayed that success into a business empire, while simultaneously shifting his focus into a career as a professional fighter.