IS NETFLIX BRINGING A NEW LEASE OF LIFE TO BOXING?

When it comes to broadcasting in boxing, a majority of the big players globally have had a crack at it.

From HBO to Sky Sports to ESPN to ITV, they’ve all, at some point, dipped their toe into the water.

But in recent times, it’s been the new kids on the block taking over.

With ESPN not renewing their deal with Top Rank and Sky Sports not renewing their deal with Boxxer, DAZN and Netflix have quickly stepped forward as the two big players in boxing broadcasting.

DAZN was the first one to signal their intent. A streaming service, they secured a massive coup when luring Matchroom Boxing away from their Sky Sports deal and took them fully online.

A decision that was questioned at the time, but a risk that has certainly paid off for Eddie Hearn.

Since then, they’ve signed deals with the likes of Queensberry Boxing and Golden Boy Boxing, and have even dipped their toe into bare-knuckle boxing with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.

However, in the last 12 months, a monster of broadcasting has taken their seat at the table.

That monster is also known as Netflix.

With over 300 million paid subscribers worldwide, Netflix is the leader in the global streaming market with nearly 100 million more subscribers than the next biggest. Scary, eh?

With boxing on the rise, in 2024 they decided they finally wanted a piece of the pie – and what a piece they took with their first live event.

Jake Paul, one of the most famous men on the planet, better known for his YouTube antics but with a growing reputation for his boxing exploits, up against the legendary heavyweight Mike Tyson.

Was the fight ever going to be a Fight of the Year contender? Most certainly not. However, the amount of intrigue around the fight – from not just boxing fans but pretty much people from every walk of life – was off the charts.

As they forecast, the numbers after the fight told the story.

The fight drew in an astonishing 108 million viewers worldwide. Quite remarkable considering this was the first live boxing event they had ever broadcast.

They’ve since struck up a partnership with Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, which saw them live stream Amanda Serrano vs Katie Taylor 3 and Canelo Álvarez vs Terence Crawford – arguably the two best fights in male and female boxing – which drew in a combined viewership of nearly 50 million people.

They already had boxing documentaries on their platform, but in September 2025 they released Matchroom: The Greatest Showmen, where they were given unprecedented access to Barry and Eddie Hearn and their team at Matchroom Sport over the space of a year.

From the disappointment of the 5vs5 and Anthony Joshua’s defeat against Daniel Dubois, to the jubilation of Katie Taylor’s win over Amanda Serrano and the success of the inaugural Reyes Cup, it gave an insight into just what it’s like at one of the biggest sports promotional companies on the planet.

So, this then begs the question: is Netflix becoming the home of boxing?

You may say that DAZN will have something to say about that, but there is more than enough space at the table for both.

DAZN are seemingly more willing to broadcast more shows, and to also put some of those shows on pay-per-view, whereas Netflix are seemingly taking their pick of the biggest fights and putting their money all in one basket every couple of months instead of spreading it out over multiple shows every month.

For example, at the time of writing this on 18 September, DAZN currently have 14 different shows scheduled before the end of the year, whilst Netflix has one – Jake Paul vs Gervonta “Tank” Davis – which will also be broadcast in selected regions on DAZN.

The production of Netflix shows is also setting the standard. Because they’re just focusing on particular shows, they’re able to go bigger and better than they’ve ever been before.

Every one of their shows is a spectacle, and we saw that last Saturday night with Canelo vs Crawford.

How long can it last without a PPV model? Only time will tell, but for now, Netflix is most certainly a breath of fresh air for boxing.