Netflix Kicks Off Packed Sports Week with Paul-Joshua Fight Before Shifting to NFL Christmas Doubleheader

As Netflix continues to ramp up its effort to eventize live sports events, it kicks off its most eventful live-sports week to date tonight when influencer-turned boxer Jake Paul steps into the ring with former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. Then, just six days later, Netflix and its production partners will team up to deliver its second annual pair of live NFL Christmas Day games – complete with live performances and plenty of Netflix-style entertainment.

Photo Credit: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Netflix

“We are not just streaming [these events]; we are producing cultural spectacles,” says Jonathan Mussman, VP Production of Nonfiction & Live. “Ultimately, success is delivering a broadcast that makes our partners, and, most importantly, our members confident that Netflix can continue to produce the biggest, most complex live events in the world at the highest quality.”

It all starts tonight at the Kaseya Center in Miami with the highly anticipated and much debated Paul-Joshua eight-round fight. The main card begins at 8 p.m. ET on Netflix, while prelims stream live on Tudum beginning at 4:45 p.m. ET.

Less than a week later, for the second consecutive year, Netflix will present a pair of marquee NFL games on Christmas Day. This year will see NFC division rivals facing-off with the Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders (1 p.m. ET), and Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings (4:30 p.m. ET). CBS Sports will produce the games, with NFL Media producing the pre, post, and studio halftime programming.

Quick Pivot: How Netflix and MVP Rolled With the Punches in Miami

Netflix and Paul’s (MVP) Most Valuable Promotions have teamed up with production partner EverWonder Studio to roll out a massive high-tech show in Miami. Kwokman Productions has been enlisted for technical management, while NEP Group is providing all mobile units and technical facilities.

“Our production approach for boxing matches is dynamic, adapting to the unique requirements of each event, particularly in terms of venue size and camera needs,” says Mussman. “For this match in a new arena, we are focusing on refining our capture strategy to deliver the most visually impactful broadcast.”

Paul was previously scheduled to face WBA lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis in an exhibition on Nov. 14, but the fight was cancelled last minute amid Davis’ legal issues. When MVP announced the replacement bout for Dec. 19, it gave Netflix and its production partners just weeks to recalibrate the operation in Miami.

“Given the recent quick pivot,” says Mussman, “we are reminded that live television inherently involves excitement and constant change, often requiring rapid adjustments to the best-laid plans.

On a positive note, MVP and Netflix successfully retained the original venue for fight night and were able to relocate the fight week activities closer to the site. This positioning provided an overall superior setup for the production operations teams.

“As is inherent in live television, we must anticipate and prepare for pivots and dynamic factors that require immediate adjustments,” says Mussman. “Our success relies, first and foremost, on ensuring we have the right team in place—a team capable of rapid and effective adaptation. Composure, resilience, and rapid critical thinking are indispensable qualities for everyone involved in these productions.”

Miami Fights: Inside the Fight Night Production Plan

Inside the truck compound, NEP’s Supershooter 10 (A and B) and Super B units will serve as home for all fight night shows this evening. Earlier this week, NEP’s NCP XI worked for the MVP Showcase 2 event at LIV Nightclub on Tuesday (with open workouts and three sanctioned fights) and NEP’s M14 worked the Final Press Conference on Wednesday at Filmore Miami Beach.

The 18-camera complement will feature five super-so-mo’s, a JITAcam on a track (with AR capability) eight robos (one with AR), a Sony PXW-FX9 on an ARRI Trinity stabilization system to provide shallow-depth-of-field looks, two Sony HDC-F5500 Super 35 4K CMOS cameras, a drone for aerial shots outside the venue, and an AGITO modular remote dolly rig (from Motion Impossible) for the center camera on the studio desk.

“We are making several key technical adjustments [for this fight],” says Mussman “leveraging large-format sensors for cinematic shots, incorporating dynamic rigs, such as the JITA, to maximize movement within the Kaseya Center’s smaller footprint, and expanding our AR integration to additional cameras. These refinements are based on lessons learned from past events and are designed to perfectly suit the venue and creative needs, further elevating our live production standards.”

Meanwhile, the studio set will be positioned close to the ringside, allowing Netflix to capture the energy of the crowd most effectively. This will be the first time Netflix’s boxing coverage will use robotic cameras for the host desk, a decision that was driven by size constraints in the venue.

“The robotic cameras and AGITO rig for our set/stage allowed us to position the desk on the floor right in the middle of all the action,” says Mussman. “This enhances our presence in venue, while allowing us to still have the coverage and movement we would with a normal desk and jib.”

On the graphics side, Netflix is bringing back the Augmented Reality (AR) graphics and has continued to evolve its overall on-air look.

“Our strategy is to maintain elevated, robust, and thoughtful graphics packages throughout the event,” he says. “We are also collaborating closely with MVP to ensure we successfully cultivate the right atmosphere in the room and capture that dynamic energy optimally for the broadcast.”

This marks Netflix’s third boxing collaboration with the EverWonder, Kowkman, and NEP. Internally, the Production team is led by Mussman with support from Vicki Prieto (Director, Live Specials & Sports), Danny Lopez (Manager, Live Sports), and Ian Schulz (Associate Manager, Live Specials & Sports). Nathan Morgan (Manager, Live Tech Management) heads up Netflix’s Internal Tech Management efforts.

“For our team,” says Mussman, “defining success for a massive global live event like Jake vs. Joshua boils down to flawless execution across the entire broadcast window, coupled with raising the bar for the live boxing viewing experience.”

Beyond Miami: Regionalizing Feeds and Revving Up Digital/Social Content 

On the Live Streaming Technologies side, Netflix continues to make significant strides to support scale across its service with Mussman we have been improving our service to support very large-scale events” saying has dating back to its early boxing coverage.

As a global streamer, Netflix also continues to make regionalizing its coverage of live sports events a priority. Tonight’s fight will feature commentary in German, Spanish, French, and Portuguese, produced off-site using a REMI workflow.

“As with all Netflix content, we prioritize securing the best voices with specialized knowledge and expertise to deliver high-quality alternative language commentary, enhancing the global livestream for all viewers. This successful localization effort is a combined lift between our Talent team and regional leads.”

In terms of digital- and social-media content, Netflix has put a heavy marketing push behind the fight despite the short advance timeline. In addition, Tuesday’s MVP Showcase event and Wednesday’s pre-fight press conference were both streamed on the Netflix Sports YouTube Channel. While the late pivot prevented Netflix from producing a dedicated pre-fight documentary as it has for its previous major events, the streamer has shifted its focus to an intensive social and marketing capture strategy.

“Our teams will be on-site and working in advance to generate comprehensive content for immediate marketing campaigns,” says Mussman. “This approach aligns with our ongoing commitment to partnering closely with the promoters and boxers to effectively elevate and amplify their matches.”

NFL Christmas Double Header: Netflix’s Stocking Full of Production Toys

Of course tonight is just the first chapter in Netflix’s weeklong live-sports journey. Next Thursday, Netflix will livestream is second annual double-header of NFL games on Christmas Day and brought back its key partners from last year – CBS Sports, EverWonder Studio, NFL Media, and NEP Group – to collaborate on the productions.

Mussman says the focus will be on “overall refinement of our workflows with partners from last year.” With that in mind, expect a Super Bowl-sized presentation as last year featured 100 cameras deployed in total across the two Christmas Day games, including the a full arsenal of Sony HDC-F5500 cameras with Fujinon cinema lenses.

One big difference this year will be on-site studio shows at both games after producing all studio programing at NFL Media’s facility in L.A. last Christmas.

“Bringing the studio shows on-site [will] capture the feel and energy of the stadium/crowds,” says Mussman. “In D.C., in addition to the concourse studio set, [we’re] adding an exterior set [that] brings the viewer closer to the action and captures the pre-game excitement.”

Last year, Netflix worked with CBS Sports, 2Fresh, and Girraphic to design and build out a brand-new graphics package that Mussman said would serve as “the cornerstone for our coverage in subsequent years.” A year later, Mussman and co. are looking at “refining and elevating our graphics package,” including extensive integration of the NFL Next Gen Stats platform. Netfrlix will look to use NGS – which provides real-time, location-based data – to integrate advanced metrics like player speed, acceleration, and location on the field into its coverage.

Kelly Clarkson will kick things off with a performance from Northwest Stadium in Landover, MD, to open the broadcast, while Snoop Dogg will headline the halftime show from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Last year, Netflix used multiple Sony Venice 2 cine cameras with a variety of cinema glass to produce the unforgettable Beyonce Bowl, so expect a similar level of cinematic coverage on Thursday.

‘A Strong Sense of Pride and Excitement’: Netflix Continues Its Live Sports Journey

With each marquee event Netflix produces, the streamer is steadily redefining what “eventized” live sports can look like in a digital-first ecosystem. And, as the company heads into its busiest week of live sports to date, Mussman believes his team continues improve with each event.

“I feel a strong sense of pride and excitement about the growth of our live sports team,” says Mussman “We have successfully brought together the best talent in the industry—individuals who clearly excel and perform brilliantly in high-stress, constantly evolving situations.”