Netflix takes a big swing into live sports with Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight
LA TimesAbout 2½ years ago in Costa Rica, YouTube star-turned-professional boxer Jake Paul had a vision. Analysts will be closely watching how many of Netflix’s 283 million global subscribers tune in to the Paul vs. Tyson match, which pits the 27-year-old content creator against the 58-year-old hard-hitter. “With Netflix, a lot of our appeal lies in the distribution and reach that we have globally,” said Brandon Riegg, Netflix’s vice president of nonfiction series and sports. That movie, “Untold: Jake Paul the Problem Child,” landed in the top 10 films on Netflix in 20 countries for one to two weeks in 2023, according to the streamer’s data. To promote the event, Netflix released a documentary series titled “Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson,” which goes into the backgrounds of the fighters and showcases their preparation for the bout.