Netflix hosted its first live sporting event on Friday, Nov. 15. In the long-awaited boxing main event, social media superstar and newly acclaimed professional boxer Jake Paul and Hall of Fame boxer Mike Tyson entered the ring.
Paul and Tyson went all eight rounds in their boxing bout at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. However, the result was different from what many viewers expected.
Many celebrities went to X to state their opinions. NBA legend Magic Johnson said, “Just sad smh. I cut it off because I couldn’t watch anymore. It’s sad to see Mike Tyson like this because I went to every Tyson fight. This fight tonight was not great for boxing.”
“The fight was sad because of the unfair age difference. The fight seemed to be an all around publicity stunt to bring in the most revenue.” – Stephen Smith, University of North Georgia business management major
Paul would win the fight unanimously. Tyson came out the gates swinging, but by the third round, he had lost all his energy. From the third round to the last, Paul would fluster Tyson with a handful of punches.
The final punch stats shows that the fight was a one-sided bout. Paul had 76 punches land out of 278 compared to Tyson’s 18 of 97 punches landed.
Despite having a record-breaking night with 60 million live viewers, Netflix had its own issues throughout the night. Netflix’s hype for its first-ever live sporting event took hits before the main event even started. From the beginning of the broadcast to the end, many Netflix subscribers had to deal with glitches, buffering and freezes, including many dealing with the quality of the screening being pixelated. If subscribers missed the bout live, they are still able to go watch the bout. Netflix is scheduled to be hosting more live sporting events later this year with WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) and the NFL. With many of those fan bases skeptical and worried, because of the broadcasters ability to stream.
During a pre-fight interview between Tyson and Ariel Helwani, Tyson was shown leaving with his whole backside exposed. Netflix can show nudity, but that depends on the region. To migrate through any potential consequences of the platform showing nudity, Netflix adds clear labels specifying if nudity is shown. However, Netflix did not specify that for this broadcast. Netflix has been going viral on X with #CancelNetflix, not for the nudity but for the intense lack of quality. Netflix’s stock tells a different story nonetheless, with shares up 70%. This surpasses all other streaming platforms, including Disney+.
Following the bout, many sport news outlets said that Paul and Tyson would be “suspended.” However, the “suspension” is not related to anything illegal or a violation of boxing policy. According to the Mirror, the “suspension” is a rest requirement. This is because the fight was not an exhibition but a professional bout. Both fighters are required to take a 24-day rest. These are set requirements by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which sanctioned the fight.
The match between Paul and Tyson was initially scheduled for July. Tyson’s return to the ring did not come without its obstacles. He suffered from health concerns that intensified weeks ahead of the fight date. He had to undergo multiple blood transfusions due to ulcers. Paul, however, still participated in a bout in July where he instead fought Mike Perry, a professional mixed martial artist. Paul beat Perry in the sixth round via technical knockout.
