Netflix has been keen on breaking into sports broadcasting for some time, and holding the rights to Tyson vs Paul is a great opportunity to put their foot in the door. There will be no pay-per-view for the fight, meaning that 260 million active subscribers will have access to the bout in addition to fans that sign up before July 20.
But should the fight be switched to an exhibition, it could impact the appeal of the bout, with multiple factors needing to be altered. With 44 knockouts in 58 fights, millions of fans could tune in with the hope of seeing Tyson hand Paul his first knockout defeat.
Ten-ounce gloves are used in professional fights, but exhibition contests use 16-ounce gloves instead, restricting punching power. An exhibition would also see Tyson and Paul fight in two-minute rounds, rather than three minutes.
The biggest change of all would be the fact that no judges would be present, as exhibition fights don’t see an official winner credited. The fate of the fight rests with the TDLR, who could rule the contest an exhibition even if Tyson’s test results are immaculate.
