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Brett Okamoto
Jake Paul delivered another ratings home run for Netflix, as his knockout loss to former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua on Friday night drew 33 million viewers globally.
The figure, released by Netflix on Tuesday, represents the average minute audience for the fight, which took place at Kaseya Center in Miami.
According to Netflix, the event was the network’s No. 1-ranked program in 45 countries, including the U.S., U.K., Canada, Germany, Australia, Mexico and Argentina. Everpass, a commercial streaming service, estimated another 600,000 viewers took in the event at various commercial properties.
Paul vs. Joshua was the second major boxing event on Netflix this year, following a September fight between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford, which drew 41.5 million viewers. Paul’s November 2024 event against Mike Tyson is the most-streamed sporting event ever, peaking at 108 million viewers, according to Netflix.
Paul (12-2, 7 KOs), 28, was a heavy underdog against Joshua (29-4, 26 KOs), a former Olympic gold medalist and two-time heavyweight world champion, and some in the boxing world criticizing the Florida Athletic Commission for even sanctioning the fight. Paul was knocked out in the sixth round and suffered a broken jaw on Joshua’s fight-ending right hand.
Paul has made light of the injury on social media and already vowed a return to the ring.
The event was promoted by Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions and co-produced by MVP and Everpass and earned the highest-grossing boxing gate in Kaseya Center’s history.