Jake Paul scored another ratings success for Netflix as his knockout loss to former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua on Friday night attracted 33 million viewers worldwide.
The figure, released by Netflix on Tuesday, reflects the average minute viewership for the fight, which took place at the Kaseya Center in Miami.
According to Netflix, the event was the network's number one rated program in 45 countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Australia, Mexico and Argentina. Commercial streaming service Everpass estimates that the event was watched by an additional 600,000 viewers across various commercial venues.
Paul vs. Joshua was the second major boxing event on Netflix this year, following September's fight between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford, which drew 41.5 million viewers. Paul vs. Mike Tyson in November 2024 is the most-watched sporting event ever, with a peak viewership of 108 million, 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 world heavyweight champion, and some in the boxing world criticized the Florida Athletic Commission for even sanctioning the fight. Paul was knocked out in the sixth round and broke the jaw on Joshua's right hand late in the fight.
Paul shrugged off the injury on social media and has already promised to return to the ring.
The event was produced in partnership with Paul's Most Valuable Productions and EverWonder and became the highest-grossing boxing event in Kaseya Center history.
