The Big Lead

Why the Netflix Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight matters

By J.P. Hoornstra

Dec 15, 2023; Orlando, Florida, USA; Jake Paul gives a press conference after knocking out Andre August in the first round at the Caribe Royale Orlando.
Dec 15, 2023; Orlando, Florida, USA; Jake Paul gives a press conference after knocking out Andre August in the first round at the Caribe Royale Orlando. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
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Back in May, Netflix was forced to postpone its highest-profile foray into the world of contrived boxing matches when Mike Tyson experienced an ulcer flareup, inhibiting his ability to train for YouTube star Jake Paul.

The Tyson-Paul fight was eventually rescheduled for Nov. 15. For now, all signs suggest it's going to take place as scheduled on Friday. The idea of Dirk from Bizaardvark fighting the last heavyweight champion famous enough to cross over into pop culture, now a 58-year-old man with an ulcer, is veering dangerously close to a Simpsons bit in terms of life imitating art.

Nonetheless, Tyson-Paul is significant for one conspicuous reason. It's perhaps the biggest attempt yet by Netflix to televise a live sporting event, a stress test for the world's biggest streaming platform to see if this whole live-sports idea is a venture worth pursuing with fervor.

Tyson-Paul is a far cry from Netflix swiping Super Bowl rights from one of the legacy networks, but it's a potential tipping point just the same. As John Ourand of Puck explained on The Varsity podcast: "it's the fever dream of just about every sports league to have Netflix become a serious bidder for sports rights. It's not just that Netflix has deep pockets, although the league certainly like those a lot. It's Netflix's global footprint."

As Ourand notes, Netflix has already committed to streaming two NFL games on Christmas, and a weekly WWE series next year. Think of it as the lowest of the low-hanging fruit among sporting events that attract eyeballs in volume.

The experiment has to work to become a trend. Netflix has endured some technological hiccups attempting to stream live events in the past. Younger viewers who have turned off linear television need to tune in for Tyson-Paul. Older viewers who are accustomed to paying for their fights on cable have to be able to find it.

If those hurdles can be overcome, the payoff could come in the form of a hastening shift in the sports-media landscape.

"Netflix is coming for sports," Ourand said. "It's just happening so slowly. And that's why I'm interested in the Tyson-Jake Paul exhibition."

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