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Afternoon Edition

November 15, 2024

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Mike Tyson and Jake Paul are set to face off Friday night in a long-awaited bout that’s as much a spectacle as it is a fight. With big money on the line and Netflix betting on live-event streaming, we explain why this match might be a game-changer for boxing and beyond.

— Eric Fisher [[link removed]] and David Rumsey [[link removed]]

Tyson vs. Paul: Big Money, Nostalgia, and Netflix’s Live-Event Bet [[link removed]]

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The Mike Tyson–Jake Paul boxing match, finally happening Friday night in Texas, started as a novelty event not necessarily taken seriously by many. There are still plenty of questions about the validity of a 58-year-old fighting a YouTube influencer. But the bout has nonetheless become a big-money spectacle that will also help drive Netflix’s live-event ambitions.

After a prior delay due to Tyson’s health issues and concerns about safety [[link removed]] that still exist in some corners, the match with Paul will happen at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the NFL’s Cowboys. A crowd of more than 60,000 is expected, and seats range widely in cost from $57 to $50,000 each, with a $2 million uber-luxury experience for the fight purchased by Los Angeles personal-injury firm TorkLaw [[link removed]].

The main event is expected to begin around 11 p.m. ET after a series of undercard fights. Paul reportedly will earn $40 million for the fight [[link removed]], while Tyson will gain an estimated $20 million.

Neither fighter is currently ranked by a major organization in the sport such as the World Boxing Council. Additionally, Tyson has not boxed in a sanctioned event since 2005. But the prematch weigh-in featured the type of drama common to big title fights, or even one in mixed martial arts, as Tyson slapped Paul [[link removed]], and the 27-year-old responded that “it’s personal now. He must die!”

Paul is favored in the match, but betting activity in recent days has shifted heavily toward Tyson [[link removed]], perhaps in part due to some nostalgia for his run in the late 1980s as the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. By the time the fight happens, multiple sportsbooks are expected to have their best-ever boxing volume. For his part, Paul is leaning in to a role as the villain.

“I’m the new kid on the block, the disrupter, loudmouth, polarizing figure,” Paul said. “I’ve built my career as the heel. Naturally, people want to root against me, and that’s great for the sport of boxing.”

Streaming Matters

The fight, meanwhile, will be a significant boost for Netflix, which will show it globally to its more than 282.7 million subscribers [[link removed]] at no additional cost—veering significantly away from the pay-per-view model common to broadcasting across combat sports. The bout in particular advances the company’s live-event ambitions, which will advance even more in the coming weeks with its Christmas Day NFL doubleheader ( advertising inventory there is already sold out [[link removed]]) and the January start of its 10-year rights deal for WWE’s Raw [[link removed]] valued at more than $5 billion.

In a company blog post this week [[link removed]], Netflix president of advertising Amy Reinhard touted the Tyson-Paul event as another example of the streaming giant’s interest in “amazing can’t-miss live moments.”

Events such as that “continue to bring members back to Netflix, driving even more fandom and conversation,” Reinhard wrote.

Netflix also supported its promotion of the event with a three-part documentary series, Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson, that preceded the fight.

NFL’s Big Schedule Play: 18-Games, 16 International Matchups on the Table [[link removed]]

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The NFL wants to expand its regular season to 18 games and play 16 contests each year outside the U.S. [[link removed]] That much has been clear from various comments made by franchise owners and commissioner Roger Goodell this year. Now, there’s a stated timeline for those goals.

On Thursday, during a panel at Liberty Media’s investor meeting in New York, Goodell said the NFL hopes to be at 16 international games “within five years.”

That’s key because Goodell has previously hinted that getting to 16 games outside the U.S. each season will likely be tied to an expanded, 18-game regular season [[link removed]]. “I’m confident, particularly if we’re going to do the restructuring of the season, that we would get to 16 at some point,” he said last month.

Next year, the league is eyeing eight games abroad, with Goodell recently confirming efforts to play in Ireland, Brazil, and Mexico [[link removed]], in addition to previously planned contests in the U.K., Germany, and Spain. The NFL is also said to be exploring selling a separate TV package of only international games [[link removed]] that could be worth more than $1 billion.

Goodell’s push for an 18-game regular season has been fairly public since he first brought up the issue around the NFL draft [[link removed]]. “I’m not a fan of the preseason,” he said in April while touting the benefits of an extra meaningful game each year in exchange for one less exhibition matchup.

He reiterated the idea of going to 18 regular-season games and just two preseason games Thursday. “That will open up more inventory to allow us to play more globally,” he said.

Another expansion of the regular season will need to be negotiated with players, and the current collective bargaining agreement runs through the 2030 season. The NFL can also opt out of most of its media-rights deals after the 2029 season.

SPONSORED BY EMIRATES NBA CUP

Who Will Capture the Cup?

[[link removed]]

Get ready for another group-play doubleheader tonight [[link removed]] on ESPN.

Starting at 7:30 p.m. ET, the San Antonio Spurs face the Los Angeles Lakers, the defending tournament champions. At 10 p.m. ET, the Golden State Warriors stay home to battle the Memphis Grizzlies. Group-play game nights are every Tuesday and Friday through Dec. 3. Eight teams will advance to the knockout rounds on Dec. 10 and Dec. 11. Las Vegas will host the semifinals and championship on Dec. 14 and Dec. 17.

Watch [[link removed]] Rosario Dawson and Michael Imperioli explain the tournament format.

LOUD AND CLEAR Start Your Engines

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“I see additional racing investment.”

—Liberty Media chair and interim CEO John Malone, signaling potential motorsports acquisitions to add to the company’s existing ownership of Formula One and a pending deal for MotoGP [[link removed]]. Malone made the comment at an investor meeting held Thursday in New York, and the session arrived one day after Liberty announced a series of significant corporate shifts [[link removed]], including the forthcoming exit of longtime CEO Greg Maffei, and the restructuring of other parts of the company. The 83-year-old Malone added he will be a “transitional” CEO as Liberty moves to its new structure that “may not be in the media business.”

WEEKEND PRIZE POOL Championship Point

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Front Office Sports tees up every weekend sporting slate with a ledger of the purses and prize pools at stake. Here’s what’s up for grabs this weekend:

ATP Tour: Nitto ATP Finals

When: Sunday Where: Turin, Italy Purse: $15.25 million First place: $4.88 million for an undefeated champion ($396,500 less per round-robin loss)

PGA Tour: Butterfield Bermuda Championship

When: Thursday to Sunday Where: Southampton Parish, Bermuda Purse: $6.9 million First place: $1.24 million

LPGA Tour: The Annika driven by Gainbridge

When: Thursday to Sunday Where: Belleair, Fla. Purse: $3.25 million First place: $487,500 STATUS REPORT Two Up, Two Down

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Gillette Stadium ⬆ The annual Notre Dame–Navy college football game will be played at the NFL venue in 2026, marking the first time in the 99-year series history that it will be played in New England.

College football super leagues ⬆ Presidents and chancellors from the Big 12 and at least a portion of the ACC will meet next month to view formal presentations [[link removed]] from leaders of two proposed super leagues, according to CBS Sports. Two groups—College Sports Tomorrow and Project Rudy—have proposed various overhauls [[link removed]] to the college football landscape. But the Big Ten and SEC have already shot down the ideas [[link removed]].

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry ⬇ The LSU Student Senate has passed a resolution urging the university to prohibit all live tigers from entering Tiger Stadium [[link removed]] after one attended last weekend’s Alabama-LSU game. Live tigers had not been at LSU games since 2016, but the governor has been making a push to restore the tradition on a regular basis.

Cricket players ⬇ The International Cricket Council is in talks with several cricket boards over the delayed payment of prize money [[link removed]] to players from this year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which was held partially in the U.S. [[link removed]]

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Conversation Starters The Astrodome Conservancy has unveiled a $1 billion proposal to revive the Houston venue, called Vision: Astrodome. Check it out [[link removed]]. Kirk Herbstreit’s “globetrotting” football broadcasting schedule has him floating among Philadelphia; Athens, Ga.; and his home in Ohio this weekend. Take a look [[link removed]]. Sacramento Kings big man Domantas Sabonis and his wife, Shashana, are launching their own wine label [[link removed]]. Editors’ Picks Jon Gruden Hire Showcases the Blurred Barstool-ESPN Lines [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]Gruden was once ESPN’s highest-paid talent. He now has a Barstool podcast. Adam Silver Defends NBA Product Amid Sluggish Ratings [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]Silver said the NBA compares itself to “the biggest brands in the world.” Sen. Ted Cruz Promises College Sports Bill As Commerce Chair [[link removed]]by Amanda Christovich [[link removed]]The NCAA could be one step closer to its goals in Congress. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Written by Eric Fisher [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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