Mike Tyson’s defeat to Jake Paul might have disappointed viewers in what was arguably the worst fight of 2024 – but those at Netflix will be more interested in the staggering amount of viewers that the bout brought in, which made it one of the most-watched sports events EVER.
Jake Paul Vs Mike Tyson Joins Illustrious List Of Most-Watched Sporting Events
The boxing legend couldn’t defy father time as the 58-year-old looked every bit his age, as he appeared slow and cumbersome against the YouTuber-turned-boxer who is 31 years his junior.
In fact, Tyson could only muster 18 landed punches compared to Paul who managed 78 and won unanimously on the judges’ scorecards at 80-72, 79-73, 79-73.
Paul after the fight revealed that he refused to go for the knockout blow against Tyson, whose condition worsened throughout the eight-round bout.
For streaming platform Netflix it was as they described a ‘record-breaking night’ – despite some teething issues brought upon by the high demand.
Viewers complained of freezing, buffering and resolution issues, but ultimately the night proved successful, even if there are lessons to learn ahead of future live events.
Netflix allowed viewers to watch the fight for nothing more than the subscription fee they already pay, and what was hyped up as one of the must-watch boxing matches of the year, entered the history books.
But what are the most-watched sporting events in history? Here, SportsCasting takes you through the top 10 list and just how many people tuned in to watch them.
Top 10 Most-Watched Sports Events
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Jake Paul v Mike Tyson – 65 million
Viewing peaked at 65 million concurrent streams for Paul’s victory over Tyson – making it the second most-watched boxing fight in history.
Though the quality of the fight can certainly be called into question, it was a successful night for Netflix as the bout knocked the classic 1978 World Series – which saw the New York Yankees defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers – out of the top 10.
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Super Bowl LVII (2023) – 124 million
The 2023 Super Bowl is the ninth most-watched sporting event in history and the highest NFL game on the list.
Music superstar Rihanna was the half-time performer, while the game itself saw an incredible fightback from Kansas City Chiefs.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes battled through the pain of an ankle injury to help his side come from 24-13 down to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35.
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Rugby World Cup Final (2019) – 857 million
England were hoping to repeat their success of 2003 when they reached the final of the 2019 World Cup against the might of South Africa.
However, South Africa ultimately proved to be far too clinical for England as they sealed a 32-12 victory to lift the trophy for a third time – and have since clinched it on a fourth occasion by beating New Zealand in last year’s tournament.
The 2019 tournament provided staggering viewing numbers however with 857 million people across the globe tuning in to watch the final.
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Asian Games – 986 million
Perhaps the most surprising inclusion on this list given its limited media coverage in some regions of the world.
However, the Asian Games is an event on a truly monumental scale especially for those countries that take part – with the likes of India, China, South Korea and Qatar among 45 participating nations every four years.
Also known as Asiad, the Games have grown exponentially since the inaugural running in New Delhi, India in 1951, and the multi-sport competition has attracted an average of 986 million viewers globally. The scale of Asia’s population – accounting for half of the world – explains its massive viewership numbers.
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2019 Cricket World Cup Final – 1.6 billion
Another final where England took part saw 1.6 billion viewers worldwide tune in to see them lift the trophy after beating New Zealand at Lord’s.
In an incredible ODI final which went to a Super Over, England won with the boundary count-back rule.
The sport may only be popular in a small number of countries in comparison to other events, but the record-breaking viewing numbers are thanks to it being popular in some of the biggest countries across the world.
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Muhammed Ali v Leon Spinks (1978) – 2 billion
It is perhaps no surprise that the man who would claim the throne to the greatest of all time among many boxing followers, Muhammed Ali, was involved in the most-watched fight in the sport’s history.
The world was eager to see if Ali could get revenge against Leon Spinks, who defeated the Greatest in their first bout in February 1978 to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
Just seven months later, two billion viewers tuned in to see Ali take a unanimous decision victory over Spinks in their rematch – in what was the final win of his legendary career.
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2006 Winter Olympics – 2.1 billion
The Winter Olympics is always a fascinating watch for viewers as it puts many sports in the limelight which rarely get the opportunity to do so.
It was the 2006 Games in Torino, Italy, which proved to be the most popular edition, with 2.1 billion viewers tuning across the duration of the multi-sport competition.
Italy will host the Winter Olympics again in just 14 months’ time, with winter sport athletes across the world taking to Milan in February 2026.
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Tour de France – 3.5 billion
The Tour de France is the most prestigious cycling race in the world and draws an impressive audience each year.
According to race organisers, 3.5 billion people in 190 countries watch the competition each year, while a massive 12 million spectators watch the race roadside over the event which lasts just over three weeks.
The 2024 Tour de France was the 111th edition of the famous race, with Slovenian Tadej Podacar proving victorious for the third time.
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2008 Olympic Games – 4.7 billion
It is no surprise that the Olympic Games is near the summit of this list given that over 200 countries take part and with the huge amount of events that are on offer every four years.
As such, a whole range of viewers are interested, from those who tune in for one sport to those who are glued by the television watching everything they can over the duration of the Games.
In terms of viewership, the most popular games were the 2008 Beijing Olympics with around 4.7 billion people tuning in – with host nation China doing their home support proud by finishing top of the medal table with 48 golds, 22 silver and 30 bronze.
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2022 World Cup Final – 5.4 billion
The night where Lionel Messi ‘completed football’ as he finally lifted the World Cup in the bizarre December tournament in Qatar in 2022.
Around 5.4 billion viewers across the globe were glued to their screens and they weren’t disappointed in what is arguably the greatest final of all time.
Kylian Mbappe joined Sir Geoff Hurst by scoring a hat-trick in the final, but Argentina beat France on penalties and the image of Messi finally hoisting the football World Cup will be tough to beat as the most-watched sporting event of all time.
