The Jake Paul–Mike Tyson fight has generated a streaming record for a live sporting event. But there is still a fairly large asterisk with that boast.
Netflix said Tuesday it posted an estimated average minute audience (AMA) of 108 million live global viewers, building on previously reported figures of a peak of 65 million concurrent streams and 60 million households around the world watching the fight, won by Paul on Friday in a unanimous decision. The U.S. audience alone was credited with 38 million concurrent streams.
The streaming giant also said the undercard fight between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano generated an AMA of 47 million in the U.S., becoming the most-watched women’s sports event of all time in that country, and 74 million globally.
The figures, however, are only first-party, unaudited numbers in international markets, and were compiled in the U.S. with the aid of advertising technology firm TVision. Unlike Netflix’s upcoming Christmas Day NFL doubleheader, which will employ Nielsen methodology like other league rights holders, the boxing match did not involve a highly established and audited measurement company to tabulate the audience.
Still, the latest Netflix figure likely smashes, at least by some meaningful measure, prior industry high points, such as a peak of 59 million concurrent viewers for the final of the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, or the average U.S. audience of 23 million for an exclusive Peacock stream in January of an NFL wild-card game.
As the latest figures were released, Netflix has been in conversation with the NFL about how best to prevent buffering and performance issues on Christmas that marred the streaming of the Paul-Tyson fight.
Stock Boom
Netflix, meanwhile, continued its stock-market tear, rising another 3% in Tuesday trading to close at $871.32 per share, adding to a similar lift on Monday and setting another company record.
Shares in Netflix have soared more than 86% this year and the latest news adds to the existing dominance as the world’s largest streaming service.
