Netflix Inc‘s (NASDAQ:NFLX) latest foray into live sports drew six million viewers for a historic all-women's boxing match — marking the most-watched women's professional sporting event of the year thus far and reinforcing the streamer's growing stake in live sports content.
What Happened: Of the six million viewers who tuned in to the third match between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, which saw Taylor win by majority decision, 4.2 million of the viewers came from the U.S., according to data from VideoAmp and Netflix, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
Year to date, the match between Taylor and Serrano is the most-watched women's professional sporting event, according to the report.
Taylor and Serrano previously appeared on Netflix's November card headlined by Jake Paul and Mike Tyson, which drew 74 million viewers.
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Why It's Important: The strong viewership for the boxing match comes as Netflix has been selective with its live events. The company does not have rights to any full sports leagues and instead relies on one-off or limited big events.
Netflix’s strong audience for women's boxing could be a promising sign for what's to come. The streamer signed a deal for the exclusive U.S. streaming rights to the Women's World Cups for 2027 and 2031.
Anyone who tuned into the Taylor and Serrano fight may have seen Netflix stars in the crowd being interviewed. The company also used the event to highlight upcoming shows and movies.
The push into live events comes as Netflix is set to lose two of its most-watched series ever: "Squid Game" recently aired its third and final season, and "Stranger Things" is set for a final season later this year.
Still, the streamer has plenty of original and acquired content on the way. Its subscriber base continues to grow, and advertising revenue from ad-supported plans is increasing.
On Christmas Day 2025, Netflix will stream two NFL games. A game between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders will air at 1 p.m. ET followed by a matchup of the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings at 4:30 p.m. ET.
Netflix is also strategically releasing the second part of the final season of "Stranger Things" at 8 p.m. ET on Christmas Day. The company is expecting a boost in viewership on the holiday, making it difficult for viewers to choose between family and streaming content.
The company's focus on sports and live content could also be a topic of discussion in Thursday’s Q2 financial results. Analysts expect quarterly revenue of $11.04 billion, a 15% year-over-year increase, according to data from Benzinga Pro.
NFLX Price Action: Netflix stock is down 0.3% to $1,257.91 on Tuesday versus a 52-week trading range of $588.43 to $1,341.15. Netflix stock is up 42% year-to-date in 2025.
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