Netflix sued over Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight glitches

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Netflix is facing a lawsuit after technical issues plagued its livestream of the Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson boxing match.

NETFLIX GETS SUED

Ronald ‘Blue’ Denton, a Florida resident, has filed for class-action status. He accuses Netflix of breaching its contract and using deceptive trade practices.

Denton, a subscriber, called the event “unwatchable” due to frequent glitches and buffering, according to IMDB.

The lawsuit claims Netflix was “woefully ill-prepared” for the surge in demand on 15 November, when the highly anticipated fight took place.

THE NETFLIX LIVE-STREAMING EVENT

The event, held at AT&T Stadium in Texas, saw Paul, 27, claim a unanimous decision over Tyson, 58, in an eight-round heavyweight bout.

Netflix promoted the fight as a global spectacle, drawing 108 million viewers on average, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

It reportedly peaked at 65 million concurrent streams worldwide, with 38 million in the United States alone.

ISSUES WATCHING THE FIGHT

However, countless viewers complained about freezing screens and lengthy buffering, especially in the United States.

Denton’s complaint didn’t hold back.

“Instead of providing the programming its viewers pay for every month, Netflix failed to prepare and couldn’t fix the issues,” the lawsuit reads.

He adds, “What boxing fans saw was ‘The Baddest Streaming on the Planet,’ not ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet.’”

NETFLIX SUBSCRIBERS NOT HAPPY

According to Denton, over 100,000 people voiced frustrations online about the service. Netflix has experienced live-streaming troubles before.

In April 2023, a Love Is Blind reunion event was delayed by nearly 19 hours after widespread glitches, according to USA Today.

Denton argues Netflix “should have known better” and accuses the company of ignoring the lessons from past errors.

JAKE PAUL VS MIKE TYSON

The fight was a major draw, particularly for American audiences, but its impact reached South Africa too.

Jake Paul, a YouTuber-turned-prizefighter, has a global fanbase, while Tyson remains a legendary figure in boxing.

Many South Africans also turned to Netflix, intrigued by the possibility of witnessing what could be Tyson’s final professional appearance.

USERS DEMAND REFUNDS

Social media erupted during the event. Complaints flooded platforms, with some viewers demanding refunds.

One Twitter user remarked, “Netflix hyped this fight so much, but I spent the whole night staring at a loading screen!”

Another fumed, “We paid for history and got a buffering disaster.”

NETFLIX BROKE STREAMING RECORDS

Despite the glitches, the fight broke streaming records, with Netflix calling it “the most-streamed global sporting event ever.”

Yet, Denton’s lawsuit claims that’s no excuse. “Netflix billed this as a premium event but failed to deliver even basic streaming quality,” the filing alleges.

The legal case raises questions about Netflix’s readiness to handle high-demand live events.

LIVE-STREAMING ON A MASSIVE SCALE

In South Africa, where internet reliability can vary, similar glitches could frustrate local audiences. Netflix has yet to comment on the lawsuit or announce compensation for affected viewers.

For now, the case has highlighted the challenges of live-streaming on such a massive scale. Fans, both in South Africa and globally, will watch closely as Netflix addresses these complaints.

As one disappointed fan put it, “If you’re taking on live sports, you’d better make sure you’re ready. Clearly, Netflix wasn’t.”

SETTING PRECEDENT

The Denton lawsuit could set a precedent for how streaming giants handle live event failures.

With the ever-growing demand for global live broadcasts, it remains to be seen whether Netflix will learn from this experience or face more lawsuits in the future.