Netflix Not Playing Around, Will Host Canelo Alvarez - Terence Crawford Fight

Netflix has proven once again that if it wants to do something, it can in the ongoing streaming wars. 

In a major media move, the world's No. 1 streaming platform announced that it will be the exclusive home for Sept. 13's Canelo Álvarez vs Terence Crawford boxing match taking place in Las Vegas. A venue has not been announced just yet for what many boxing fans believe is one of the biggest and best high-profile boxing matchups they've seen in years.

SIGN UP for The Daily OutKick. New Look, Same Attitude

NO NONSENSE NETFLIX MOVES FURTHER INTO SPORTS 

"On September 13, Canelo and Crawford, two legends of boxing, will finally compete against each other in the fight of the century," Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority and President of the Saudi Boxing Federation, said in a statement. "Alongside Dana White and Sela, we will deliver something truly incredible in Las Vegas for fans around the world to enjoy through Netflix."

Earlier this year, UFC President Dana White teamed up with Turki to launch TKO Boxing. This will be the first major boxing event the new venture will present.

"Turki wants to make the biggest fights that the fans want to see in boxing, and this is right up my alley," White added in a statement. "Are you kidding me that the first boxing fight I'm going to get to promote is Canelo vs. Crawford? It's literally a once-in-a-lifetime fight."

Netflix has been open about its desire to delve further into the streaming sports world. Last year, it famously hosted the return of 58-year-old Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul in a boxing match, which brought in an estimated 108 million viewers, according to Netflix, making it the most-streamed sporting event ever.

The Tyson-Paul fight, however, will also be remembered not only for a joke of a fight in which Paul easily defeated Iron Mike, but also a joke of a livestream as customers all across the globe had streaming and buffering issues. As I wrote in November, 2024, if Netflix wants to dominate the sports media world, it has "major issues [that they need] to fix," after the embarrassing buffering blunder the world saw on their platform. 

CANELO-CRAWFORD COULD BE ONE OF THE BEST FIGHTS EVER

To the streaming platform's credit, it did improve its technical issues when it was the exclusive home of the NFL's two Christmas Day games, with only minor issues. Netflix also has WWE Raw live each week on the platform. 

September's upcoming Canelo vs Crawford fight is expected to do major numbers as both boxing GOATs square off for the super middleweight championship. 37-year-old Crawford will move up two weight classes to fight Canelo at 168-pounds.

In a sports world driven by social media hype (as well as sports betting), Netflix hopes that a large chunk of their 300+ million subscribers tune in for the historic "superfight" in September whether they are boxing fans or just intrigued to see what happens.

… Will you be one of them?

TWEET ME AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT CANELO VS CRAWFORD AND THE NETFLIX DEAL.  @TheGunzShow