Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson pulls record-breaking $18.1 million gate for controversial Netflix showdown

The main event may have left many unhappy, but when it comes to the bottom line, the spectacle that was Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson was an unmitigated success, generating a record-setting $18.1 million gate Friday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions announced the massive number Tuesday morning, declaring it the highest-grossing combat sports event outside of Las Vegas and the 10th-highest grossing U.S. event overall. Paul vs. Tyson also more than doubled the previous combat record for Texas, set by Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders in 2021, also at AT&T Stadium.

"Paul vs. Tyson and Taylor vs. Serrano 2 rewrote the record books, solidifying Most Valuable Promotions as a trailblazer in combat sports," Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions said in a release. "From setting the highest gate outside of Las Vegas in U.S. history for a combat sports event to becoming the most streamed sporting event in U.S. history, this event is a testament to the global impact of Jake Paul, Mike Tyson, Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano, and the incredible athletes on this card.”

While Tyson-Paul was a financial success, it was not without controversy as Netflix’s first foray into combat sports was marred by significant, widespread streaming issues and the night’s main event between the former heavyweight champion and YouTuber-turned-boxer failed to deliver on lofty-yet-unrealistic expectations.

Further inflaming the controversy, Tyson revealed post-fight that he "almost died" five months earlier in June, requiring eight blood transfusions to replace half his blood and losing 25 pounds while hospitalized.

Nonetheless, Netflix and MVP announced that 60 million households worldwide tuned into the event, with a peak of 65 million concurrent streams, proving the public's appetite for the contest and making it the most streamed sporting event ever per the platform's press release. Netflix and MVP also touted that 56% of all U.S. television viewing from 12 a.m. to 1 a.m. ET on Saturday was Tyson-Paul.

The night’s co-main event, Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 2, delivered an instant-classic fight and became the most-watched women’s sporting event in U.S. history, reaching nearly 50 million concurrent streams for a rematch that will likely end up on many Fight of the Year lists for 2024.