After months of unending hype and build-up, one of the most anticipated boxing fights in recent memory took place on Saturday night. Going toe-to-toe at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Terence Crawford pulled off the upset against Canelo Alvarez and cemented himself as a truly legendary boxer.
In front of a sold out crowd and raucous atmosphere, “Bud” got the job done in extremely impressive fashion. Despite much of the crowd being on Canelo’s side, the event ended up as a massive success for everyone involved. That was very much the case for Netflix, who live streamed the event and has the potential to become a power player in boxing if they continue on this route.
Netflix shared the viewership numbers for the Canelo-Crawford fight a couple of days after the event, and they were impressive to say the least. But in the process, it confirmed something that many know but are reluctant to admit: Jake Paul is truly a star in the sport.
Canelo vs. Crawford viewership numbers not close to Paul vs. Tyson
While Canelo-Crawford drew a whopping 41 million viewers, it paled in comparison to Paul’s fight against Mike Tyson, which more than tripled that number.
While a lot of those views came due to the bout being against Tyson, it’s impossible to deny the sway Paul has when it comes to viewership. Fans want to watch what happens in his fights, for better or worse.
Regardless, the Canelo-Crawford outcome was a major positive for Netflix in their sports live streaming venture. The question is what’s next for the streaming conglomerate.
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