The Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match, which was streamed live on Netflix in November 2024, drove the single largest one-day sign-up peak for Netflix's US operations that Ampere Analysis has ever observed. The event was widely marketed, and was credited by Netflix as driving a peak of 65m concurrent streams worldwide, and 38m streams in the US.
Ampere's tracking indicated that the streamer's gross additions reached nearly 2% the size of the company's domestic subscriber base over the 48 hours around the fight – equating to approximately 1.5m gross new US subscribers as a result of the event. Normal daily gross sign-ups for the streamer range between 30,000-130,000.
However, the effects on sign-up activity in international markets like the UK were more muted. In the UK, the event still drove a significant peak in new subscriber activity, but at less than a quarter the rate seen in the US. This highlights the challenge of sports for global streamers – a localised approach is necessary for maximum impact.
This success underscores the significant potential of live sports to drive subscriber growth for Netflix. While the event showcased the power of high-profile matchups to create record-breaking engagement in the U.S., its more modest impact in international markets highlights the complexities of leveraging sports globally. As Netflix continues to experiment with live sports, crafting localized strategies and targeting diverse audience preferences will be key to sustaining its momentum and maximizing its reach in an increasingly competitive streaming landscape.