Netflix is in trouble after its stream of the highly anticipated Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight turned into a total knockout — of the buffering kind. A Florida man has filed a $50 million class-action lawsuit, claiming the OTT giant failed to deliver on its promise of a smooth streaming experience during the much-hyped showdown.
The lawsuit claims that the platform was ill-prepared for the massive demand, leading to global disruptions that caused viewers to miss key moments of the fight where Jake emerged victorious over Tyson by unanimous decision.
Netflix sued over Tyson vs. Paul streaming fiasco.
A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Netflix by a Florida resident, Ronald “Blue” Denton, who alleges that the streaming service’s technical failures during the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight ruined the viewing experience for countless subscribers, according to TMZ. The lawsuit contends that Netflix breached its contract by failing to provide a stable stream, despite announcing the event as the “most-streamed global sporting event ever.”
“60 million Americans were hyped to see ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson, ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ versus Youtuber-turner-prizefighter Jake Paul. What they saw was ‘The Baddest Streaming on Planet,” the court documents obtained by the outlet read.
Also read: Netflix says Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson boxing match was ‘the most-streamed sporting event’
Denton alleges that millions of viewers, including himself, encountered reoccurring technical issues such as “buffering, glitches, and complete outages during the broadcast.”
The much-awaited Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson clash finally arrived on November 15th after a summer delay, but the night turned into a digital disaster. As the boxers entered the ring, the streaming platform faltered, leaving viewers stranded in a sea of buffering and glitches. Social media was flooded with angry reactions. The incident even raised concerns about the platform’s ability to handle future major sporting events, such as the upcoming NFL season.
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Netflix claims Tyson Vs Paul- the most streamed global sporting event
Even after admitting to the streaming hiccups and promising to address them, Netflix couldn’t resist celebrating a major win on November 21. The platform proudly shared that the live-streamed match pulled in an average of 108 million viewers, with 65 million “concurrent streams.” The numbers, sourced from TVision in the U.S. and Netflix’s global data, highlighted just how massive the event was.
While the match set a record, it still trailed major global broadcasts like Super Bowl LVIII, which drew 186 million viewers, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup final, boasting over 1 billion viewers globally, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The eight-round fight, with each round lasting two minutes, between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson also included a co-main event featuring Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, which drew nearly 50 million households. Held at AT&T Stadium in Texas, the event served as a global showcase for Netflix’s ability to handle massive live-streaming demand, as the platform eyes future partnerships with major leagues like the NFL and WWE.
