Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson will be available to the 260 million subscribers on Netflix, which could make this the most-watched lived sporting event ever on July 20th in their boxing match at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Netflix: Disrupting the Sports Broadcasting Model
Ariel Helwani is reporting the numbers and his belief that Paul-Tyson could become the most-watched live sporting event, which would be impressive, and it could lead to Netflix becoming a major sports outlet due to its massive subscriber base.
It still hasn’t been decided whether the fight between the 58-year-old former unified heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and YouTuber turned boxer Jake Paul will be an exhibition or a real fight. Helwani says, “It’s a real fight,” but it still hasn’t been announced as such.
TalkSPORT revealed that Jake Paul’s MVP co-founder, Nakisa Bidarian, said neither fighter would wear headgear on July 20th.
Key Details Fueling the Paul vs. Tyson Clash:
- The Netflix Factor: 260 million subscriber base. The Paul-Tyson fight will be included in a regular subscription with no extra PPV fees.
- Iconic Venue: The match will take place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with a seating capacity of 80,000.
- Age Gap and Controversy: 31 years difference in ages between 58-year-old Tyson and 27-year-old Jake.
Quotes from Helwani:
“Jake Paul is returning to action on July 20th against Mike Tyson. It’s a real fight happening on July 20th,” said Ariel Helwani on his YouTube channel.
“That’s item #1. Item #2 is they’re fighting at A&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in front of, it hasn’t been decided; they’re working on it right now, I’m told, in terms of what the configuration will be, but it’s going to be somewhere in the 65 and 80,000 range as far as spectators.”
With the huge buzz that has already been created about the Paul-Tyson fight, it’s fair to say the fight will be a sellout on July 20th, with the 80,000-seat AT&T Stadium filled to capacity in Arlington, Texas. It’s still too early to know which fighters will be on the undercard, but hopefully, it’s not an assembled group of Jake’s YouTuber pals.
“It’s absurd. There’s been a couple of fights there, Pacquiao, Canelo, etc. This is absurd. Item #3, which I feel has been completely lost, and I understand why because there’s a 30-year age gap, it’s Tyson, it’s Jake Paul, it’s A&T Stadium and all that,” said Helwani.
“I’m as intrigued by item #3, it’s live on Netflix. No pay-per-view if you’re a Netflix subscriber, and they have 260 million approximately subscribers around the world available in every country,” said Ariel.
We don’t know yet how well Netflix will advertise the Paul vs. Tyson fight to their subscriber base, as they would have to let them know about it because most people pay to watch movies, not sporting events. In theory, the fight will be available to 260 million subscribers, but it could be ignored if Netflix doesn’t alert them about it through e-mails.
“If you’re already a subscriber, you get it [Paul vs. Tyson] for free. You don’t have to pay extra,” said Ariel. “It’s not like you have to pay $50 on top of whatever it costs. $13, whatever it is, to be a subscriber.
“The number of people who watch this fight will arguably be the most people ever to watch a live combat sports event. I don’t think that’s a stretch because the subscriber is available to everyone via the same platform. I understand this was signed on November 1st for July 20th,” said Helwani.
Again, under a best-case situation, the Paul vs. Tyson will be the most-watched athletic event in history, but that’ll require advertising from Netflix. If it does turn out that way, it could change the sports broadcasting model.
