The highly anticipated matchup between Jake Paul, the social media influencer turned professional boxer, and former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson has captured global attention. Livestreamed on Netflix, the fight has generated significant buzz, with many viewing it as more spectacle than sport. Let's delve into the financial aspects of this event, including the fighters' payouts, ticket costs, and Netflix's gains.
Mike Tyson's Estimated Payout
Regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, 58-year-old Mike Tyson has an estimated net worth of $10 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. That is a modest sum compared with the hundreds of millions of dollars "Iron Mike," as he is known, accumulated in career earnings, including $400 million in fight purses, according to Forbes. Though promoters did not reveal exactly how much Tyson earned for Friday's fight, reports from online sources, including DraftKings Network, estimate he'll make around $20 million. That's about the same dollar amount Tyson earned in his match against Michael Spinks in 1988, a record purse at the time (worth roughly $53 million today adjusting for inflation).
Over the last decade, Tyson has also fought his way back after filing for bankruptcy in 2003. In 1992, Tyson was sent to prison for six years after being convicted of raping a teenage beauty-pageant contestant. He was released on parole after three and a half years, returning to boxing in 1995 in a match against Peter McNeely, who was dispatched by a technical knockout in under 90 seconds.
Notable Past Payouts
Tyson would go on to earn $30 million for each of his next four matches, which included an infamous 1997 fight against Evander Holyfield in which Tyson bit off a piece of his opponent's right ear. Tyson was disqualified from the fight, had his boxing license revoked and fined $3 million, but was allowed to keep the purse.
At a news conference on Wednesday, Paul wore a diamond-spiked ear cover, a pointed reference to the incident. But when it comes to making light of the ear biting, Tyson has beat Paul to the punch, having launched ear-shaped marijuana edibles (with Holyfield's consent) through his company, Tyson 2.0, a premium cannabis brand he launched in 2021.
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Jake Paul's Earnings
Jake Paul, 27, is set to earn $40 million, according to an estimate from DraftKings Network and other sources - double what Tyson is expected to receive for the fight. A simple explanation for that may be that Paul, a top social influencer with 27 million followers on Instagram alone, is also co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), the company promoting the extravaganza in partnership with Netflix.
With a 10-1 fight record, mostly against mixed martial artists and other pro-boxing newcomers under his belt, Paul, a former child star and YouTube prankster who began his boxing career in 2018, does not lack confidence - or showmanship. His cocky attitude earned him his latest nickname "El Gallo de Dorado" or the Golden Rooster, coined by fans in Puerto Rico.
"This is why modern boxing is a joke," commented one user on Reddit in reaction to the video. "People get more excited about freak show fights than actual boxing matches."
The Fight Purse
The undisclosed purse is estimated by some to be as high as $80 million.
Ticket Costs and Revenue
Last-minute tickets can still be found for the Tyson vs. Paul fight, which will take place Friday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Originally set to take place on July 20, the event was later postponed and rescheduled for November 15 after Tyson suffered an ulcer flare-up on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles in May.
Read also: Tyson's Money Troubles
As of early Friday evening, gate receipts at AT&T Stadium brought in $17.8 million in revenue, CNBC reported. Promoter MVP told the news outlet it expects more than 70,000 people fill the stadium, home to the Dallas Cowboys, which has a seating capacity of 80,000.
What Actually Happened?! MIKE TYSON VS JAKE PAUL - Full Fight Breakdown [4K]
Betting Odds and Wagers
Tyson enters the ring on Friday, nearly 20 years since his last professional fight, as a +160 underdog, according to the latest betting odds from DraftKings. That means a $100 wager on post-retirement Iron Mike will bring in a $160 profit if he wins. At -200, Paul is the favorite to win. Bettors will have to place a $200 wager to make a $100 profit, should the social influencer prevail over Tyson.
"There has been a lot of anticipation for this fight, and we have been pleased with the betting volume," Johnny Avello, director of sports operations at DraftKings, told CBS MoneyWatch. "We expect more action to come in the hours leading up to the fight."
Although it remains to be seen how much will be wagered in total, the event is attracting some whale-sized bets of $500,000, according to ESPN.
Gamblers are backing Tyson, according to DraftKings, with 69% of all bets currently on the former undisputed world champion to emerge victorious.
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Netflix's Bet on Live Sports
For most fans, the best seats will be at home, with Tyson vs. Paul streaming worldwide on Netflix. The fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul brought in 1.43 million new sign-ups to Netflix within three days of the fight.
A report from Antenna Data revealed that Netflix’s Mike Tyson-Jake Paul boxing match in November “drove 1.43 million new sign-ups within three days of the fight,” making it the “‘single largest acquisition moment’ in the streamer’s history,” according to Sean Burch of THE WRAP. The new subscribers represented a “significant change of pace” for Netflix.
As reported by CBS Sports, the fight marks Netflix's biggest bet to date on live sports.
Netflix Subscription Options
If you already subscribe to the Netflix streaming service; great, there’s nothing to do but tune in on Friday night and enjoy the show (if you’re into that sort of thing). If not, you’re going to need to sign up for a Netflix subscription and choose from a variety of pricing plans.
Here’s the breakdown for stateside subscribers:
- Standard with ads ($6.99/mo):
- Ad-supported, all mobile games and most movies and TV shows are available. A lock icon will appear on unavailable titles.
- Watch on 2 supported devices at a time
- Watch in 1080p (Full HD)
- Download on 2 supported devices at a time
- Standard ($15.49/mo):
- Unlimited ad-free movies, TV shows, and mobile games
- Watch on 2 supported devices at a time
- Watch in 1080p (Full HD)
- Download on 2 supported devices at a time
- Option to add 1 extra member who doesn’t live with you
- Premium ($22.99/mo):
- Unlimited ad-free movies, TV shows, and mobile games
- Watch on 4 supported devices at a time
- Watch in 4K (Ultra HD) + HDR
- Download on 6 supported devices at a time
- Option to add up to 2 extra members who don’t live with you
- Netflix spatial audio
Subscribers are charged monthly on the date of signup; meaning, if you subscribe on Nov. 15, then you will be charged the 15th of every month thereafter until you cancel - and you can cancel at any time before your next billing cycle. Depending on where you live, you may also be charged taxes in addition to your subscription price.
It’s also worth noting that subscription prices vary depending on your region.
For example, United Kingdom subscribers can expect to pay £4.99 (standard with ads), £10.99 (standard), and £17.99 (premium) each month until they cancel.
The “Paul vs. Tyson” broadcast will feature live commentary in English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French and German.