On an already-historic night that saw Irish superstar Katie Taylor edge out Puerto Rican sensation Amanda Serrano in an epic brawl for the ages to retain her undisputed lightweight crown, an unprecedented audience of 1.5 million tuned in globally on DAZN to set a new women’s boxing viewership record.
Broadcast from a sold-out crowd of 19,187 inside the storied walls of the iconic Madison Square Garden, what’s now the most watched female headlined boxing match in history delivered to DAZN viewers an unforgettable night in which the two fearless warriors traded heavy blows across 10 breathtaking rounds.
Of the 170+ markets that drove global viewership, the U.S. and the UK saw the most fans tune in while Spain, Canada, Ireland, Germany, Australia, Italy, Japan, and Brazil rounded out the top 10. Moreover, the DAZN app was the highest grossing sports app globally on Apple and Google over the weekend as well as the most downloaded sports app in Ireland on both iOS and Android.
The victorious Taylor said: “Everyone was talking about this fight being the biggest in women’s boxing history, but I think it actually exceeded everything that people were talking about.
"This was a special, special moment. I think that both myself and Amanda have broken down so many barriers in the last few years in our sport. I love my sport and I want to keep making history.”
Serrano added: “We won. We won for equality. We won for fair pay. We won for boxing. We won for women. We won for young girls. So I raise my hand as a champion, no matter what the outcome of one fight was.”
Shay Segev, CEO of DAZN Group, said: “Saturday was a triumph for women’s boxing and for DAZN. Promoting women’s sport is central to our mission – far beyond being part of our social impact agenda, we have always seen it as a real commercial opportunity for DAZN and Saturday’s fight confirmed that.
"The fight’s incredible viewing figures and new subscriber numbers are evidence of widespread popularity and will move the conversation in the right direction. I’m delighted that DAZN was at the heart of this historical moment.”
Joseph Markowski, EVP of DAZN Group, said: “Taylor vs. Serrano was a historic night for boxing, for women's sport, and for DAZN, as more history was made with a record-breaking global broadcast audience of a remarkable 1.5 million on DAZN.
"The promotion as a whole was a watershed moment that further catapulted women’s boxing into the mainstream. We look forward to proudly promoting and broadcasting many more spectacular events like it on DAZN in the future.”
Eddie Hearn, chairman of Matchroom Sport, said: “I’ve said it before, women’s boxing has longevity and sustainability. And on Saturday night, forget male or female, you saw one of the greatest fights in the history of Madison Square Garden.
"It was amazing and I’m so proud of Katie Taylor, the greatest Irish athlete of all time. She is such a humble indivudal, such an inspiration to the next generation of female boxing talent, and such a great ambassador for us and DAZN. I cannot wait to see what’s next for her and for women’s boxing.”
Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, Co-Founders of Most Valuable Promotions, added: “Saturday night will go down in history as one of the most influential fights in boxing.
"Whether you were there live, or watching on DAZN, it is a night you will fondly remember. Amanda and Katie left everything they had in the ring, proving until the very end that they are two of the greatest athletes in the sport. It's been an honor to support Amanda on her journey over the last year and we couldn't be more proud to represent a fighter of her talent and character.
"This fight represented more than earning a title or a belt. It uplifted all female athletes- now and for generations to come."
As part of DAZN’s stacked schedule of nonstop fights, following on the heels of Taylor vs. Serrano is another mega blockbuster this Saturday, May 7 - Canelo vs. Bivol, live on DAZN PPV in the U.S. and Canada as well as on the DAZN subscription of many other countries worldwide.
The highly-anticipated event will see undisputed super-middleweight champion of the world, four-weight world titleholder, boxing's hottest ticket and the number one pound-for-pound fighter Canelo continue his quest for one of the greatest legacies the sport has ever seen.
His opponent is Dmitry Bivol, who has a flawless record and has defended his WBA light heavyweight belt an incredible ten consecutive times. Canelo stepping up in the weight on Saturday in a bid for a belt that hasn’t switched hands since 2016 will mark Bivol’s 11th – and perhaps final? – defense.
Find out more about Canelo vs. Bivol and sign up here.