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Brett Okamoto
Jake Paul delivered another ratings home run for Netflix as his knockout defeat against former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua on Friday night attracted 33 million viewers globally.
The figure, released Tuesday by Netflix, represents the average minute viewership of the fight at Miami’s Kasia Center.
According to Netflix, the program was the network’s number 1-ranked program in 45 countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Australia, Mexico and Argentina. Everpass, a commercial streaming service, estimated that another 600,000 viewers attended the event, held at various commercial properties.
Paul vs. Joshua was the second major boxing event on Netflix this year, drawing 41.5 million viewers, following the September fight between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford. According to Netflix, Paul’s November 2024 event against Mike Tyson is the most streamed sporting event ever, reaching 108 million viewers.
Paul (12-2, 7 KOs), 28, a former Olympic gold medalist and two-time heavyweight world champion, was heavily outmatched against Joshua (29-4, 26 KOs), and some in the boxing world criticized the Florida Athletic Commission for sanctioning the fight. Paul was knocked out in the sixth round and Joshua suffered a jaw-breaking right hand that ended the fight.
Paul has highlighted his injury on social media and has already vowed to return to the ring.
The event was co-promoted by Paul’s Most Valuable Productions and EverWonder and was the highest-grossing boxing gate in Kasia Center history.
