Netflix is about to stream its most-audacious sports entertainment event ever: A live boxing match between legendary fighter Mike Tyson and upstart athlete Jake Paul.
The event will take place on July 20 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas and will be streamed globally by Netflix, the company announced in a release on Thursday.
“[Jake] Paul has shown tremendous growth as a boxer on his path to becoming a world champion, but now will take on one of the best and most dangerous boxers of all time in Mike Tyson,” a Netflix spokesperson wrote in a statement.
“It’s crazy to think that in my second pro fight, I went viral for knocking out Nate Robinson on Mike Tyson’s undercard,” Paul said. “Now, less than four years later, I’m stepping up to face Tyson myself to see if I have what it takes to beat one of boxing’s most notorious fighters and biggest icons.”
“I’m very much looking forward to stepping into the ring with Jake Paul at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas,” Tyson said on Thursday. “He’s grown significantly as a boxer over the years, so it will be a lot of fun to see what the will and ambition of a ‘kid’ can do with the experience and aptitude of a GOAT. It’s a full circle moment that will be beyond thrilling to watch; as I started him off on his boxing journey on the undercard of my fight with Roy Jones, and now I plan to finish him.”
“Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson is a once-in-a-lifetime dream matchup, and we hope it will be the most-watched boxing event in modern boxing history,” Nakisa Bidarian, the founder of Most Valuable Production, which is working with Netflix on the special, said in a statement. “Partnering with Netflix for this deal presents an unparalleled opportunity to bring Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson to the world on an unprecedented scale, and we look forward to delivering this incredible clash of two of sports biggest names. Six generations of boxing fans will have a stake in the outcome and will be able to watch an anti-hero, Jake Paul, put it all on the line against the baddest man on the planet, Mike Tyson.”
It’s JAKE PAUL vs. MIKE TYSON — yes, really! — in a LIVE BOXING event at AT&T Stadium you won’t want to miss. Airing live on Netflix Saturday, July 20 #PaulTyson pic.twitter.com/ULXVeCYeH6
— Netflix (@netflix) March 7, 2024
Netflix seems like a perfect place for the bout: The streamer already offers subscribers an episode of its sports documentary series “Untold” that focuses on Paul, who goes by the nicknames “The Problem Child” and “El Gallo.” Now, adding Tyson to the roster is sure to help Netflix boost its standing as a global sports television platform.
“Mike Tyson is one of the biggest icons in boxing history and Jake Paul is one of the biggest disruptors in boxing history,” said Gabe Spitzer, Vice President, Nonfiction Sports, Netflix. “Saturday, July 20 will be pure drama in the ring in Texas. We are thrilled to partner with Most Valuable Promotions for this historic event, and we can’t wait for these two to face off for fans all across the world on Netflix.”
The event comes as Netflix pushes more into the arena of live programming, with a specific focus on sports. It previously streamed a charity golf tournament and a tennis match, and has plans to serve as the exclusive global home of “WWE Raw,” starting in 2025.
