Terence Crawford made history on September 13, but was the bout also a win for newcomers Netflix and Zuffa Boxing?
The Crawford-Álvarez fight offered the first glimpse of what the sport could look like under Zuffa Boxing and Netflix’s streaming model.
Boxing has undergone major changes in recent years, many tied to Saudi Arabia’s growing influence on the sport. Last year’s Hearn vs. Warren 5v5 event, held at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena, showcased five fighters from Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing against five from Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions.
While some fans were cautious of General Entertainment Authority (GEA) chairman Turki Alalshikh’s involvement, he received praise for bringing together two of the sport’s top promoters, who rarely matched their fighters against each other despite having some of the best talent in their respective stables.
The event elevated Hearn and Warren’s profiles, but last weekend appeared to signal the next phase of Saudi Arabia’s strategy for boxing.
Terence Crawford’s unanimous decision over Canelo Álvarez in Las Vegas not only made him the first male boxer to hold undisputed titles in three weight divisions, it was also the first fight promoted by Zuffa Boxing, a joint venture between TKO Group Holdings, Saudi events company Sela and Alalshikh.
The fight had all the hallmarks of a blockbuster. Two undefeated fighters, a venue in the entertainment capital of Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium, promotion by UFC CEO Dana White and live streaming to Netflix subscribers for no added cost.
Record Gate at Allegiant Stadium
Zuffa Boxing is packed with fight promotion expertise and funding. However, it was always going to be interesting to see how Zuffa Boxing would deliver its first show, especially given White’s main area of focus has been MMA.
The bout drew a crowd of 70,482, setting a new Nevada record for boxing attendance and surpassing longstanding benchmarks, including the 1982 Larry Holmes vs. Gerry Cooney fight. It also eclipsed Allegiant Stadium’s previous top attendance of 63,969, set during the LSU–USC college football game in September 2024.
The live gate topped $47m, placing the event among the three highest-grossing fights in modern boxing history, behind only Floyd Mayweather’s mega-bouts against Pacquiao and Conor McGregor.
These figures are particularly impressive given that the matchup featured two elite fighters whose drawing power, while substantial, still required strategic promotion to sell out such a large venue.
Has Netflix cemented its spot?
Outside the arena, the fight reached a huge global audience. Netflix reported more than 41 million viewers worldwide, including about 20 million in the US. The main event drew an average minute audience of 36.6 million.
Netflix ranked the fight as the top program in 30 countries, including the US, Mexico, the UK, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Ireland and the Philippines. It also appeared in the top ten programmes in 91 countries.
Questions answered
While impressive, the viewership didn’t match some other recent boxing events. Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson drew over 100 million viewers globally, and Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano reached an estimated 74 million.
These comparisons aren’t too surprising. Fights featuring celebrities with massive social followings naturally attract a broader audience. What stands out, however, is how Netflix appears to have cemented its role as the go-to streaming platform for boxing.
By streaming the fight to over 40 million viewers worldwide, Netflix and Zuffa Boxing demonstrated boxing can thrive outside traditional pay-per-view. Subscription streaming can deliver massive global reach while supporting high-profile megafights.
Alalshikh summed up the vision: “We have the opportunity now to do something for boxing. We are close to something big in the future with Netflix. Long relationship. This is important.”
He noted that boxing was ranked the 24th most popular sport in the US when he and his partners became involved, and it has since moved to 9th. “I hope to be one of the top five,” Alalshikh added.
