STWF Sports | Dec. 23, 2025 – Jake Paul’s ability to command attention remains unrivaled in modern boxing entertainment. Even in defeat, the YouTuber-turned-boxer proved once again that he is one of the most bankable figures in the sport, drawing monumental viewership numbers for Netflix during his heavyweight clash with Anthony Joshua on Friday night in Miami.

Paul’s latest bout followed his record-setting appearance against Mike Tyson in November 2024, a fight that ended with Paul’s hand raised and Netflix rewriting the streaming record books. This time, the outcome inside the ring was far more punishing. Joshua stopped Paul in the sixth round, leaving the 28-year-old with a broken jaw and a sobering reminder of the gulf between novelty stardom and elite heavyweight pedigree.

Still, the numbers tell a powerful story.

Netflix numbers remain enormous

According to Netflix, 33 million global viewers tuned in to watch Paul vs. Joshua from start to finish. While the figure falls short of Paul’s previous outing against Tyson, it remains a staggering total for a live boxing event in the streaming era.

For Netflix executives, the performance reinforces Paul’s unique value. Few fighters—champions included—can guarantee that level of global attention, regardless of the result. Unsurprisingly, the platform is already expected to pursue future bouts involving Paul, with talk of a potential showdown against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou gathering momentum.

How it stacks up historically

Paul’s meeting with Tyson last November remains the gold standard for streamed sporting events. That fight peaked at 65 million concurrent streams worldwide, with 38 million in the United States alone and a reported 108 million global viewers in total, making it the most-streamed sporting event in history.

By comparison, September’s blockbuster between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford attracted just over 41 million viewers, peaking at 24 million concurrent streams. Meanwhile, Katie Taylor’s bout with Amanda Serrano in July reached nearly six million global viewers, becoming the most-watched women’s sporting event of 2025.

Against that backdrop, Paul vs. Joshua comfortably sits among the most-watched boxing events of the modern era—despite being a one-sided contest in the later rounds.

A brutal night, but a valuable lesson

Inside the ring, the gulf in experience eventually told. Joshua’s size, composure, and power wore Paul down before a series of knockdowns ended the fight in the sixth round. Paul was later rushed to hospital and underwent surgery for a fractured jaw, an injury that will see him on a liquid diet through the holiday season.

Yet Paul struck an upbeat tone when reflecting on the defeat during an appearance on his brother Logan Paul’s IMPAULSIVE podcast.

“I mean, it’s not that hard to get your a** beat,” Paul joked. “Actually, I won two rounds, then he won two, then I got dropped. I was doing good.”

Paul admitted that the physical and mental demands of facing a true heavyweight exposed gaps in his preparation.

“The cardio, the mental pressure of the big guy, and sparring the big people—it’s different from the ten-ounce gloves,” he said. “I was feeling his power more. But it was a great experience. I learned a lot in there.”

What Paul says went wrong

Paul identified conditioning as the biggest flaw in his camp, pointing to the short turnaround and lack of altitude training.

“I wish I had more than three weeks to prepare,” he said. “I should have gone to altitude. That was my biggest mistake. I needed that extra level of cardio, and that only comes from altitude.”

Despite the punishment, Paul insists he had moments of success.

“I had him wobbled at one point,” he said. “I see where I could have done better. I’m disappointed, but I also know how good he is.”

Bigger than wins and losses

Paul’s defeat to Joshua may have ended painfully, but commercially, it did little to dull his momentum. In an era where attention equals value, Paul continues to deliver audiences that even the sport’s biggest champions struggle to match.

As Netflix weighs its next move and Paul plots his recovery, one thing is clear: whether winning or losing, Jake Paul remains one of the most powerful draws in boxing—and streaming knows it.