Netflix is making a major foray into combat sports by partnering with Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) on a blockbuster boxing event featuring legendary former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson facing off against YouTube star-turned-boxer Jake Paul. The bout, dubbed a “boxing mega-event” by Netflix, will stream live on the platform on July 20 from AT&T Stadium in Dallas.

The match between Tyson and Paul represents a significant breakthrough in Netflix’s live sports strategy. While the streaming giant inked a 10-year, $5+ billion deal with the WWE in January, executives indicated then that professional wrestling blurs the lines between sports and entertainment. Hence, the company sees this boxing event as a more clear-cut entry into live combat sports events.

The fight is the latest in Netflix’s gradual expansion into live sports broadcasting. In addition to the WWE deal, Netflix recently aired tennis matches between Carlos Alcaraz & Rafael Nadal and PGA Tour pros & Formula 1 drivers dubbed “The Netflix Slam” and “The Netflix Cup” respectively.

“Mike Tyson is one of the biggest icons in boxing history and Jake Paul is one of the biggest disruptors in boxing history,” said Netflix’s VP of Non-Fiction Sports, Gabe Spitzer. “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.”

For Paul and MVP founder Nakisa Bidarian, the Netflix deal represents a crowning achievement in a staggering rise. “Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson is a once in a lifetime dream matchup and I anticipate it will be the most-watched boxing event in modern boxing history,” Bidarian says. 

He highlights the magnitude of the upcoming event: “Partnering with Netflix presents an unparalleled opportunity to bring this clash of sports’ biggest names to the world on an unprecedented scale.”

Paul, who rose to fame via YouTuber before putting on boxing gloves, takes pride in reaching this high-profile bout so quickly. “It’s crazy to think that in my second pro fight, I went viral for knocking out Nate Robinson on Mike Tyson’s undercard. Now, less than four years later, I’m stepping up to face Tyson myself,” says Paul. 

“Within just two and a half years of founding MVP, we’re producing the biggest fight in history in the biggest NFL stadium, broadcast live on Netflix.”

For his part, Tyson sees the matchup as a symbolic passing of the torch. “I’m very much looking forward to stepping into the ring with Jake Paul. He’s grown significantly as a boxer over the years, so it will be fun to see what the ambition of a ‘kid’ can do against the experience of a GOAT,” Tyson states. “It’s a full-circle moment that will be beyond thrilling to watch, as I started him on his boxing journey and now I plan to finish him.”

Boxing has seen a resurgence in recent years, driven partly by the entry of influencers like the Paul brothers and KSI. While once a staple of broadcast and cable TV, boxing’s prominence declined as networks like HBO and Showtime exited the sport. Netflix’s partnership with MVP positions the leading streamer to capitalize on boxing’s renewed popularity among younger audiences.

The pay-per-view model is still prevalent in major boxing matches, but Netflix will make the Tyson vs. Paul fight available to all subscribers. The company will also sell tickets to fill the 80,000-seat AT&T Stadium, organizing additional undercard bouts.

July 20, the Tyson vs. Paul mega-event is set to epitomize Netflix’s strategy of leveraging live sports, viral personalities, and its global platform to enhance subscriber engagement.