Tyson vs. "Internet Famous Boxer" Paul Draws Attention from the Public! Netflix (NFLX.US) Will Receive "Sky-High Traffic"

Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson and social media sensation turned boxer "internet celebrity boxer" Jake Paul will face each other in an anticipated boxing match on Friday, which is part of Netflix's latest series of marketing actions. The streaming giant will broadcast the high-profile boxing match live, continuing to profit from the trend of live streaming sports events. This "generational showdown" has all the elements to become a popular cross-genre series. The 58-year-old legendary boxer Tyson represents the glory of the older generation of boxers, while 27-year-old Paul, who gained fame and fortune early on YouTube, has attracted a younger generation of social media fans and boxing enthusiasts. Paul was once a popular short video internet sensation in the US, attracting millions of fans with his pranks and funny videos on social networks. Surprisingly, he later transitioned to the boxing field and began challenging MMA and former UFC fighters in 2021, unexpectedly defeating them, earning the title of the strongest "internet celebrity boxer" in history. This highly anticipated boxing match will attract sports fans from around the world to watch the live broadcast, with Netflix expected to benefit from the "sky-high traffic" of streaming this sports event. It is understood that Netflix's global audience of over 280 million paid subscribers will be able to watch the live HD broadcast on the Netflix streaming platform. For American boxing fans accustomed to paying extra to watch major matches on broadcasters like HBO, this may be a popular change. "All sports events are currently trending towards moving some of their core assets to streaming platforms," said Bob Dolphman, a senior sports event marketing analyst in San Francisco. "This epic showdown between two superstars could indeed become the largest streamed sports event ever." The US subscription TV network HBO announced in 2018 that it would stop broadcasting boxing matches, ending a 45-year partnership with the sport and leaving a vacuum in the broadcast rights. Netflix has previously dabbled in live sports content, including golf and tennis exhibitions, as well as the popular documentary series "F1: Drive to Survive," which is credited with increasing the popularity of motorsports in the US. This highly anticipated boxing match will take place at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, which can accommodate 80,000 people, marking Netflix's first live broadcast of a boxing event. This will help Netflix implement its strategy of providing high-quality exclusive content that viewers cannot see elsewhere. Although this match will not have traditional advertising, it will feature partner companies whose branding will be part of the live event. Despite the rapid growth of its ad-supported service tier, advertising is not the main source of revenue for this streaming giant. Reports this week indicate that the number of streaming subscribers with embedded ad services has increased from 40 million in May to 70 million. Neil Pearson, former president of CBS Sports, said that this major event marks a lasting "affair" between sports and streaming, although he predicts that in the foreseeable future, streaming and traditional broadcast services will coexist harmoniously. "To me, it's more of a novelty. It won't change the entire industry," Pearson said. "The industry will still be driven by comprehensive broadcast agreements with leagues like the NFL, NFL, and MLB, rather than an exclusive broadcast." Amazon.com, Inc.'s streaming service Prime scored the exclusive rights to Thursday Night Football live streaming in 2021, while the NFL signed a massive 10-year exclusive streaming agreement with Apple Inc.'s Apple TV in 2022, reportedly worth up to $25 billion. The MLB also signed an agreement with Apple Inc. to launch a "Friday Night Baseball" program in 2022, featuring double games weekly. Sports leagues seem to be leaning more towards streaming platforms as they can attract a global audience, including young viewers who don't watch traditional TV. Don Garber, chairman of Major League Soccer (MLS), said that Apple Inc.'s streaming platform allows MLS to better leverage the global fan base of the sport. "We saw in 2018 the challenges local and regional TV stations faced in attracting viewers and achieving economic benefits," Garber said at this week's Palais International Council Summit. "We hope to enter the market in a globalized way... We offer a global subscription service, and each of the 600 games we launch is as important as 'Monday Night Football'."