(LR) Mike Tyson, Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul pose on stage during the press conference for the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match at Texas Live! In Arlington, Texas, on May 16, 2024.
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The highly anticipated boxing match between Jack Paul and Mike Tyson has already entered the record books.
The fight’s promoter, Most Valuable Promotions, which is co-owned by Paul, told CNBC that he expected more than 70,000 people to attend Friday night’s bout at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. is Dallas Cowboys Stadium has a seating capacity of 80,000.
The promoter said the gate receipts alone generated $17.8 million.
This makes it the largest boxing gate in history outside of Nevada. The previous record was $9 million in gate receipts for the 2021 fight between Canelo Álvarez and Billy Joe Saunders at AT&T Stadium.
MVP said the gate was higher than any non-Las Vegas UFC fight except for Conor McGregor vs. Eddie Alvarez in New York City in 2016.
MVP co-founder Naqisa Badarian told CNBC’s “Closing Bell” that both Tyson and Paul will make eight figures from the fight, and that Taylor and Serrano will also receive a record payday for women’s boxing.
The fight between 27-year-old YouTube influencer boxer Bane Paul and 58-year-old boxing legend Tyson will air on Netflix on Friday at 8pm ET, free for subscribers.
The event will also feature one of the most anticipated women’s boxing rematches in history: undisputed super lightweight champion Katie Taylor vs. unified featherweight champion Amanda Serrano.
Netflix has more than 283 million paid memberships in more than 190 countries. The bout will also be a test for the streamer as it moves deeper into the sports arena and moves beyond the boxing pay-per-view model.
“The numbers don’t lie,” Paul said at a press conference for the fight Wednesday. “People want to see it and it’s an amazing success. … It’s a statement that we had the biggest live gate outside of Vegas in the history of American boxing.”
Tickets for Friday’s fight range from about $58 to $1,500 on StubHub. MVP also sold high-end packages, including a $2 million VIP experience that comes with ringside seats. The promotion company says its 375 VIP seats are officially sold out.
For comparison, the biggest fight in Vegas history was Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2015. and Manny Pacquiao. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the fight took in more than $72 million in tickets.
