As a long-time subscriber of Netflix, I found last week’s Paul-Tyson fight to be quite the rollercoaster ride. On one hand, it was undeniably impressive that Netflix managed to bring together such a massive audience for a live event – a feat that certainly caught my attention. However, on the other hand, the experience left much to be desired from a technical standpoint, which was rather frustrating as I had been looking forward to watching the fight without any interruptions.
On Friday, while getting my vehicle serviced for brakes, a conversation between the mechanics caught my attention regarding their plans to watch the Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul boxing match on Netflix that night. One of them mentioned it could be worth watching since there’s no charge involved.
It’s evident that Netflix isn’t complimentary (particularly following its stricter stance on password sharing), but the message here was plain: Unlike many recent high-profile fights, boxing enthusiasts didn’t have to pay over $100 to a pay-per-view provider to witness Paul and Tyson’s exhibition. Instead, in around two-thirds of U.S. households with a Netflix subscription, the Paul vs. Tyson fight was essentially free for those who wanted to watch – and unsurprisingly, many took advantage of this opportunity. However, does this mean it’s a significant victory for Netflix?
In my opinion as a movie critic, it’s clear that last Friday’s main event on Netflix was quite a spectacle, streaming simultaneously on approximately 65 million devices worldwide. Interestingly, around 38 million of these viewers were from the United States, accounting for about 58% of the total audience. This means that during an average minute of the event, there were roughly 108 million viewers globally, according to Netflix’s source, TVision. While Netflix didn’t provide a specific estimate for the U.S viewership of the Paul-Tyson fight, considering about half of the total streams came from here, it’s safe to assume that around 63 million Americans tuned in as well. This places the U.S audience among the top viewed television events in 2024. However, it’s worth noting that Netflix chose not to use Nielsen data for this event, making comparisons to other major events a bit tricky.
The immense enthusiasm for the event was undeniably palpable. Without needing Netflix to confirm, it was evident that numerous individuals were drawn to it: On the very night of the fight, social media platforms erupted with frustration from subscribers who encountered difficulties accessing the event or experienced buffering issues upon entry. Essentially, it mirrored the chaos of the Love Is Blind live-reunion, but on a much larger scale: a significant setback for the streaming service that typically boasts about its swift app loading times and minimal buffering problems.
I’m not implying that this is a positive situation for Netflix, on the contrary, I’ll explain more about it later. However, since Netflix is accustomed to handling many millions of simultaneous streams daily, the fact that it struggled with it last Friday seems to support their statement that approximately 65 million homes were streaming the same event simultaneously, with around 38 million households in the U.S. alone.
Netflix Really Is the New Network TV
Despite Netflix having already significantly transformed the global television landscape, last week’s event could be considered another milestone for the company. Essentially, Netflix managed to transform an ordinary streaming into a highly-anticipated event simply by airing it on their platform, which was previously a hallmark of the Big Three broadcast networks. In the 80s and 90s, many Americans would tune in to programs that were far from great only because they were scheduled at prime time slots on specific networks.
On occasions when networks broadcast special events, such as boxing matches, we tended to gather in greater numbers than usual. For example, on a Friday night in November 1979, approximately 55 million Americans tuned into ABC to watch Sugar Ray Leonard fight Wilfred Benítez. Notably, earlier in the decade, fights involving Muhammad Ali drew even larger crowds, capturing more than half of the viewing audience available at that time.
In the past, such large numbers weren’t uncommon. However, nowadays, even the most popular network TV shows struggle to reach 10 million viewers simultaneously. On the other hand, hit streaming shows often take days or even weeks to gather a substantial audience. But remarkably, the fight between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson managed to captivate tens of millions of Americans, all tuning in at the same time. This event was likely to draw a crowd due to the intrigue of seeing an icon like Tyson face off against a brash young challenger such as Paul. However, if this fight had been a pay-per-view or even a regular broadcast, the audience would have been significantly smaller. The audience it did attract – both domestically and globally – was largely due to its platform. Just as being on NBC’s Thursday night in the 1990s could elevate any show airing on that night, the cultural appeal of the Paul-Tyson fight was boosted by its streaming on Netflix.
Why the Fight Wasn’t a Total Knockout
Last Friday marked a turning point for the streaming service, but it could also serve as a cautionary tale. Netflix successfully drew in viewers, which may aid their attempts to attract advertisers to their platform. However, the poor viewing experience for numerous customers significantly harmed Netflix’s reputation. The service has been losing its appeal, particularly among younger viewers, due to its strict password sharing policy (previously encouraged by Netflix), its tendency to limit show runtimes, and its introduction of commercials into a previously ad-free environment.
Netflix has consistently outperformed its competitors in terms of smooth functionality and high-quality streaming, but last week, that advantage was noticeably absent. Not only did the service encounter technical issues, but the main event itself was lackluster. The lead-up to the fight was filled with excessive hype and promotional content that was heavily criticized on social media. Instead of clearly marking this as a pre-show and informing viewers when the actual fight would begin, Netflix chose to have audiences gather at 8 p.m. ET for a bout that didn’t start until midnight, possibly in an attempt to accumulate more viewing minutes.
It’s clear that no customer increased their payment for the privilege of watching the fight, and it’s unlikely that long-time Netflix subscribers would cancel over temporary buffering issues. Netflix isn’t a new, unproven service like Fyre Festival; it has established itself firmly in the market. Even if Netflix executives were frustrated by the technical glitches following the Love Is Blind finale, they won’t be driven out of business by them.
Despite spending a significant amount (tens of millions) on something without conventional advertising that may not attract substantial long-term viewership, such as the upcoming boxing match or NFL games on Christmas Day, Netflix is taking the risk. Unlike classic episodes of Outer Banks, these events aren’t likely to draw large audiences for months or years to come. However, it’s worth noting that the NFL games will have advertising, which may help offset some costs. If Netflix struggles with traffic management during these events, the backlash from fans could be much louder than the recent one, as Americans are particularly passionate about their football.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that each dollar allocated towards spectacles such as Paul-Tyson fights or NFL matches is money that could instead be put into producing shows and movies – which are the primary sources of revenue for Netflix. While I believe live events do have a role on the platform, they should either be affordable (like reality shows or talk/variety shows), provide opportunities for extended viewing (such as major concerts or stand-up specials), or maintain viewer engagement week after week (like the upcoming WWE deal). I’m not entirely convinced that one-time events like the fight or NFL Christmas games accomplish this, even though they may underscore Netflix’s standing in the media industry.
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2024-11-22 18:54