Netflix Sued Over Technical Glitches in ‘Unwatchable’ Jake Paul-Mike Tyson Boxing Match

As a long-time Netflix subscriber with a soft spot for Mike Tyson and live events, I must admit that my excitement turned into disappointment during the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight. I remember staying up late to catch the highly anticipated event, only to experience nothing but buffering and freezing issues on my screen. It was frustrating, to say the least.


At least one Netflix user was so frustrated with the technical issues during last Friday’s live stream of the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match that they decided to take legal action against the company.

Ronald “Blue” Denton, a resident of Hillsborough County, Fla., who says he is a Netflix subscriber, sued the company in Florida state court. The lawsuit, filed Monday, seeks unspecified monetary damages and class-action status on behalf of other consumers who were affected. The lawsuit accuses Netflix of breach of contract and deceptive trade practices under Florida law, per WFLA-TV. Denton’s complaint alleges Netflix was “woefully ill-prepared” for the high demand of the Paul-Tyson fight, and that the livestream was “unwatchable” because of the problems.

Netflix didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

As the highly anticipated Paul-Tyson match unfolded on November 15th, I found myself among countless Netflix subscribers venting on social media about our video streams abruptly halting during the live broadcast, apparently due to buffering issues.

Despite experiencing some technical issues, Netflix’s Tyson-Paul fight managed to attract an estimated average of 108 million live viewers worldwide, making it the “most-watched global sporting event on a streaming platform” according to Netflix. The event reached its highest point with 65 million simultaneous streams, while 38 million were watching simultaneously in the U.S.

Based on Denton’s lawsuit, it appears that “60 million Americans were eagerly anticipating ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson, who was once known as ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet,’ facing off against YouTube-turned-boxer Jake Paul. Instead, what they got to see was ‘The Baddest Streaming on the Planet.’ (It is reported that the Paul-Tyson fight was viewed by 60 million households worldwide on a streaming platform.)

In April 2023, Netflix held its initial significant live gathering, a “Love Is Blind” reunion, which faced significant delays due to technical problems, eventually appearing on the platform 19 hours following its scheduled live broadcast. As stated in Denton’s lawsuit, Netflix subscribers encountered widespread streaming difficulties, an issue that reportedly should have been avoided since it had occurred previously.

The Florida lawsuit alleges that over 100,000 people voiced concerns online about the technical difficulties experienced during the Paul-Tyson livestream on Netflix. It also states that boxing enthusiasts, as well as ordinary Americans eager to witness a potential final fight of a legend, encountered significant problems, such as lack of access, streaming interruptions, and buffering issues.

The lawsuit claims that unlike what subscribers expect and pay for monthly, Netflix was not ready and did not have a solution to resolve the problems it faced.

In a heavyweight contest held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Paul, aged 27, won against Tyson, who was 58, after eight rounds. The victory was a unanimous decision.

Additional Reading: The Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson Fight on Netflix: Users Complain About Buffering, Pauses, and Delays During the Live Broadcast

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2024-11-21 00:48