We stack up the big fight (which didn’t last long at all) against Netflix’s prior fights from the past two years.
Picture Credit: Netflix
The dust has settled on the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles following Ronda Rousey’s blistering (or absurd – your pick) 17-second armbar submission over Gina Carano, and Netflix has now released the official viewership figures for the event. According to a new press release, the blockbuster live triple-main event drew an estimated Average Minute Audience (AMA) of 12.4 million viewers globally (Live+1).
Here’s how it stacks up against prior combat events, and by Netflix’s own metrics, it looks to be a step down from the colossal heights of the streamer’s previous MVP-produced mega-fights and it’s worth noting we didn’t get official stats for Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov beyond a 5M figure posted here.
While the event generated massive social media buzz and dominated trending topics worldwide, the viewership numbers are on the lower end compared to last December’s Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua and the record-breaking Paul vs. Tyson event in the year before that. Below, we break down the new metrics, compare them to previous Netflix live sports events, and analyze what the data says about the streamer’s evolving combat sports strategy.
Note: This report uses data from Netflix’s official press release released on May 19th. Not that these comparisons aren’t entirely apples-to-apples, given different methodologies, but they do offer a general point of direction.
Unlike last time with the Paul vs. Joshua fight, where Netflix only provided a global Live+1 figure, we thankfully have a breakdown of both US and global viewing this time around.
| Metric | Rousey vs. Carano | Paul vs. Joshua | Canelo vs. Crawford | Taylor vs. Serrano 3 | Paul vs. Tyson |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event Date | May 16, 2026 | December 19, 2025 | September 13, 2025 | July 11, 2025 | November 15, 2024 |
| Data Source | VideoAmp, G&G & Netflix | VideoAmp & Netflix | VideoAmp (US) & Netflix (Global) | VideoAmp (US) & Netflix (Global) | TVision (US) & Netflix (Global) |
| Global Viewers (AMA) | 12.4M (Live+1) | 33M (Live+1) | 36.6M (Live+SD) / 41.4M (Live+1) | ~6M (Live+1) | 74M (Live) |
| US Viewers (AMA) | 9.3M (Live+1) | N/A | 20.3M (Live+SD) | 4.2M (Live+1) | 47M (Live) |
| Peak Concurrent Streams | 17M (Global) / 11.6M (US) | N/A | 24M+ | N/A | 65M (Global) / 38M (US) |
| Gate / Attendance | N/A | Record Gate (Kaseya Center) | $47M+, 70,482 (Allegiant Stadium) | $2.63M, 19,721 (MSG) | $18.12M, 72,300 (AT&T Stadium) |
(Note: Prior event data reflects official numbers provided by Netflix and external partners).
What stands out immediately is how heavily skewed the audience was toward the United States. Of the 12.4 million global viewers, a massive 9.3 million came strictly from the US, peaking at 11.6 million domestically during the Rousey vs. Carano fight itself. Viewership peaked globally at nearly 17 million.
The triple-main card—produced by Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and EverWonder—also featured “King of Violence” Mike Perry winning by TKO against Nate Diaz after a referee stoppage before the third round, while Francis Ngannou knocked out Brazil’s Philipe Lins in the very first round.
In addition to the AMA figures, Netflix released some serious social data this time around:
- 1.0 billion impressions across Netflix’s global social channels.
- The fight dominated X (formerly Twitter) in the United States, with #RouseyCarano taking the #1 trending spot all evening, alongside related terms like Nate Diaz, Jake Paul, MVP MMA, and Netflix MMA.
- Globally, the fight hit the #1 trend in Brazil (no doubt fueled by Ngannou’s brutal first-round knockout of local star Lins) and the #3 trend in the UK. Ultimately appeared in the daily top 10s in 69 countries.
What’s Next for Netflix Live Events?
Rousey vs. Carano marks Netflix’s fourth live event produced in partnership with MVP—following Paul vs. Tyson, Taylor vs. Serrano III, and Paul vs. Joshua.
In conclusion, that’s undoubtedly a disappointing global display for the fight compared to prior MVP boxing events, but a highly concentrated domestic hit. Did international interest wane because Rousey and Carano are seen as legacy fighters returning to the cage? Did fans tune out early because the headliner only lasted 17 seconds?
Regardless, Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano is just the latest in Netflix’s aggressive expansion into live television. Upcoming live events include five NFL games this upcoming season, the highly anticipated debut of WWE Raw, and major MLB specials including the Home Run Derby and Field of Dreams. That’s in addition to Formula 1 in the US on May 23rd for the Canadian Grand Prix, plus an expected showdown later this year between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.
