Netflix Continues Live TV Push As Skyscraper Climb Draws 6.2M

Netflix’s growing efforts in live events received a sizable boost from last week’s free climb of a Taipei skyscraper by Alex Honnold.

The streaming giant said Tuesday that it reached 6.2 million global views for its Jan. 24 coverage of Skyscraper Live, the company’s latest foray into live sports programming and one that documented Honnold, a noted rock climber, scaling Taipei 101—one of Asia’s tallest buildings at 1,667 feet—without ropes or a harness. 

It’s important to note that the viewership figures are based on Netflix’s internal data, and they were not tabulated by an established audience measurement agency such as Nielsen. That differs materially from how Netflix’s NFL games, which briefly held a league streaming record and helped lift the entire U.S. streaming business last month, have been tracked.

Instead, the latest metric more closely resembles those for events such as the 2024 boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson, which generated an estimated average minute audience of 108 million. The international data from that event was first-party, unaudited numbers, while U.S. figures were compiled with the aid of advertising technology firm TVision. 

Viewership for Skyscraper Live was likely hampered, at least to some degree, by a weather delay that pushed the climb from an originally scheduled Friday night broadcast, in U.S. time zones, to Saturday night. The initial data reflects viewership that happened live Saturday and then on demand Sunday. 

Skyscraper Live ranked third last week among English-language Netflix shows in total views behind His & Hers and Season 1 of Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials. Easily leading Netflix last week, though, was the heist movie The Rip with 40.4 million views.

Growing the Business 

Still, Netflix plans to push more into live events, particularly in sports—even as it continues to avoid standard, full-season rights packages. 

In addition to its work in sports such as football, boxing, and professional wrestling, Netflix this spring will start a three-year rights deal with MLB, beginning with a March 25 opening-night game between the Yankees and Giants and including other key events such as the Home Run Derby and the 2026 Field of Dreams game. 

In an earnings report last week, Netflix also said in a letter to shareholders that live events such as the NFL games drove “disproportionate excitement and signups” for the service during 2025’s fourth quarter. 

“We’re starting to see benefits to retention, too,” from live events, particularly in sports, said Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos in an earnings call.

Skyscraper Live was also the Netflix debut of newly added talent Elle Duncan, who joined the company after a celebrated stint at ESPN.