The highly anticipated boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson shattered records, drawing over 60 million viewers globally on November 15, 2024. However, not everyone had a smooth viewing experience. For many fans, technical glitches during Netflix’s live stream marred the event, prompting one Florida resident, Ronald “Blue” Denton, to take legal action against the streaming giant.
Denton filed a lawsuit against Netflix on November 18, claiming the platform breached its contract by failing to provide a stable live stream for the fight. Court documents reveal Denton’s frustration as he described “legendary problems,” including an inability to access the stream, constant buffering, and repeated glitches during the event. He is seeking unspecified damages for what he alleges is a failure to deliver on Netflix’s promise to provide uninterrupted live coverage.
Netflix Acknowledges Streaming Issues
While Netflix has not directly addressed Denton’s lawsuit, the company did comment on the technical issues that plagued the historic event. In a tweet following the fight, Netflix stated, “60 million households around the world tuned in live to watch Paul vs. Tyson! The boxing mega-event dominated social media, shattered records, and even had our buffering systems on the ropes.”
Elizabeth Stone, Netflix’s Chief Technology Officer, elaborated in an internal memo, acknowledging the challenges caused by the unprecedented volume of viewers. “This unprecedented scale created many technical challenges, which the launch team tackled brilliantly by prioritizing stream stability for the majority of viewers,” she said. However, she admitted the service fell short for some users. “We don’t want to dismiss the poor experience of some members. We know we have room for improvement.”
The lawsuit and streaming mishaps come as a significant blow to Netflix, which has recently ventured into live event broadcasting. Fans expressed their frustrations across social media, with many recounting their inability to watch critical moments of the fight due to glitches.
Celebrity reactions have further amplified the backlash. Radio host Howard Stern criticized Netflix’s performance and warned of potential disasters if similar issues occur during its planned NFL live streams on Christmas Day. “You f**k people’s football, there is hell to pay,” Stern quipped during a Sirius XM broadcast.
A Record-Breaking but Controversial Night
The Paul vs. Tyson fight itself drew mixed reviews. While the event’s record-breaking viewership highlighted its massive appeal, the fight’s content, including perceived evasiveness from both boxers, disappointed many fans. For those who managed to endure the technical issues, the spectacle may not have lived up to the months of buildup.
As Netflix navigates its first legal challenge stemming from a live-streamed event, the lawsuit underscores the high stakes of live sports broadcasting in the streaming era. Whether Denton’s case will succeed remains to be seen, but it’s clear Netflix has much to address before its next high-profile broadcast.