A Netflix exec has spoken out over the issues with the stream of the Jake Paul and Mike Tyson fight.
It was the fight seen around the world, and with 60 million households tuning in to watch Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson, Netflix has made a not-so-small fortune. Although there have been accusations of 'fixing' and complaints that the 27-year-old YouTuber beat 'Iron Mike' on points, the boxing match at least got everyone talking. There was plenty of hype in the run-up to Paul vs Tyson, with everything from controversial rule changes to epic slaps.
As the dust settles on one of 2024's biggest sporting events, one Netflix exec has spoken out about the 'flawed' stream and grumbles that there were a few gremlins on the big night.
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Netflix has broken down the numbers for fight night, which boasted a peak of 65 million concurrent streams. Alongside the Paul and Tyson fight, Netflix broke records when nearly 50 million households tuned in for the co-main event of Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano. Netflix suggests it's the most-watched professional women's sporting event in US history.
Over on X, #PaulTyson was unsurprisingly the number trending topic worldwide on X, while it's the biggest boxing gate outside of Las Vegas in US history.
The star-studded event attracted former Tyson opponents including Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, alongside celebrities like Shaquille O'Neal and Charlize Theron. Unfortunately, if you weren't in the audience at Arlington's AT&T Stadium, there was a chance you might've missed the big event.
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After many reported that their stream was freezing or even crashing, Netflix has spoken out on the debacle. As reported by Bloomberg, Netflix CTO Elizabeth Stone apparently wrote to employees and explained: "This unprecedented scale created many technical challenges, which the launch team tackled brilliantly by prioritizing stability of the stream for the majority of viewers.
"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."
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There's been a vocal response online, with plenty of users calling out Stone's response. One disgruntled viewer said: "I saw 15 seconds of the 3rd round. That's it. Complete failure @netflix."
Another added, "Mainly unwatchable and when it was, a pixelated mess for most of the night.," and someone else said, "Poor statement. They should say it didn’t meet standards and they’ll address it for future live sporting events."
Stone's words have been referred to as a 'say nothing' statement, and it's clear that fans are unimpressed with the streaming giant. With 60 million households equating to around 20% of Netflix’s 283 million worldwide subscribers, it was a huge chunk of its users that were trying to watch 'The Problem Child' take on 'Iron Mike'. For those who got to watch the big fight, you might've got more than you bargained for, with an unexpected shot of Tyson's bare backside being one of the most viral moments of the night.
Netflix has promised to do better, but with it hosting an NFL doubleheader of the Chiefs vs. Steelers and the Ravens vs. Texans on Christmas Day, let's hope it can fix things by then.