The highly anticipated boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson on November 15, 2024, attracted over 108 million global viewers on Netflix but was marred by significant streaming issues, leading to a class-action lawsuit filed by Florida man Ronald ‘Blue’ Denton. The lawsuit claims Netflix breached its contract by providing an ‘unwatchable’ livestream, citing buffering, glitches, and a lack of access that frustrated nearly a million viewers.
“Sixty million Americans were hyped to see ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson, ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ versus YouTuber-turned-prizefighter Jake Paul. What they saw was ‘The Baddest Streaming on the Planet,’” the lawsuit filed in Hillsborough County, Florida reads. “Boxing fans, along with the average Americans wanting to see a legend in what would most likely be his last fight, were faced with legendary problems, including no access, streaming glitches, and buffering issues.”
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Despite Netflix’s acknowledgment of the technical challenges faced during the event, the platform touted the fight as the “most-streamed sporting event ever,” reaching 65 million concurrent households in the U.S. and peaking at 56% of all TV viewership during the broadcast.
“This unprecedented scale created many technical challenges, which the launch team tackled brilliantly by prioritizing stability of the stream for the majority of viewers,” said Netflix executive Elizabeth Stone. “I’m sure many of you have seen the chatter in the press and on social media about the quality issues. We don’t want to dismiss the poor experience of some members and know we have room for improvement but still consider this event a huge success.”
Critics voiced their disappointment over the fight’s quality, with some suggesting contractual limitations on Tyson’s performance.
Viewers also encountered additional blunders, including some…unexpected content shown during the stream.
As Netflix prepares for future live events, including an NFL double-header on Christmas Day, the company faces scrutiny over its streaming capabilities.
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