Tyson-Paul fight gives Netflix opportunity to show it can handle big events with NFL, WWE on horizon
AP Sports Writer
Jake Paul and Mike Tyson aren’t the only ones who have high stakes when they meet in the boxing ring on Friday night.
For Netflix, it is their biggest live sports event to date, and an opportunity to make sure it can handle audience demand with the NFL and WWE on the horizon.
The bout between the YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul, and Tyson, 58-year-old former heavyweight champion, from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, will stream globally and be available to Netflix’s 280 million subscribers at no additional cost.
Netflix will broadcast the bout in English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French and German. It was originally scheduled for July 20, but was delayed by Tyson having a medical episode on a plane and needing time to recover from a stomach ulcer.
Netflix declined multiple requests by The Associated Press to make a company executive available to discuss expectations about the fight.
JP Morgan Chase analyst Doug Anmuth has not wavered in his prediction that it will be the most-watched fight ever. That might be an unrealistic bar to climb since four of Muhammad Ali’s bouts had estimated worldwide audiences of one billion.
The modern-day U.S. mark of 4.6 million from the 2015 bout between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao could be attainable though.
“We believe the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight could be the most watched boxing match ever given ease of access and NFLX’s (Netflix’s) large global subscriber base, and it should attract Ad Tier subs, viewers, and dollars,” Anmuth said in his analyst note according to CNBC Pro. “Netflix is increasingly focused on sports entertainment, events, and shoulder content, and we expect a bigger push into live sports over time, particularly as negotiating leverage shifts in NFLX’s direction.”
Netflix has used live sports as support programming for documentaries and series it airs. “Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson”, a three-part documentary series previewing the fight card, was ranked second Thursday night among Netflix’s most-viewed shows.
Last November’s Netflix Cup, where Formula 1 drivers were paired with PGA golfers in a match-play format, brought together famous figures from “Drive to Survive” and “Full Swing,” The March 3 Netflix Slam exhibition match between Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz tied in with “Point Break” and a documentary series about Alcaraz that will air next year.
The NFL elected to partner with Netflix for a Christmas Day doubleheader of games because two series — “Quarterback” and “Receiver” — were among Netflix’s top 10 series globally.
Most Valuable Promotions is handling the production of Friday’s bout while CBS will produce the two NFL games for Netflix. When “Raw” begins airing on Netflix in January, World Wrestling Entertainment handles the production of all its events.
Netflix will carry “Raw” in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom and Latin America beginning on Jan. 6, with additional countries to be added as contracts expire. The bigger component, though, is that Netflix will carry all of the company’s shows overseas, including its premium live events like WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble.
“Technically, it is a great dry run by putting on live events. The biggest problem they might have is you just end up in a situation where you’ve got so much volume and viewing a way that you haven’t had in the past,” said Patrick Crakes, a media consultant and former Fox Sports executive. “It could end up being more than who watches the NFL games for a period of time. Others are handling the production, what they have to worry about is the operational flow. They know what they are doing.”
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