A Florida man has filed a class-action lawsuit against Netflix over streaming that marred millions of viewers’ experience during the highly anticipated boxing match between Mike Tyson and YouTube star Jake Paul.
Ronald “Blue” Denton, of Hillsborough County, accuses Netflix of breach of contract for failing to provide reliable streaming during the event, which drew a global audience.
The lawsuit, filed in Florida state court, seeks at least $50 million in damages.
Lawsuit Claims Netflix Was Unprepared
Denton’s lawsuit highlights frustrations from viewers nationwide, claiming the fight was plagued by glitches, buffering, and outages.
It says any fans reportedly missed significant portions of the bout due to streaming problems.
The lawsuit cites “over 100,000 complaints” online, with fans venting their frustrations about the poor streaming quality.
It says:
“Netflix customers experienced massive streaming issues and should have known better because it’s happened before. They were woefully ill-prepared.”
“Netflix customers experienced massive streaming issues and should have known better because it’s happened before. They were woefully ill-prepared,” according to the lawsuit.
Citing “over 100,000 people complaining online,” the lawsuit claimed:
“Boxing fans, along with the average Americans wanting to see a legend in what would most likely be his last fight, were faced with legendary problems, including: no access, streaming glitches and buffering issues.”
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Outages and Viewer Impact
The website Down Detector reported nearly 85,000 users logged streaming complaints before and during the fight. Social media erupted with angry posts from fans experiencing interruptions.
Key points from the event:
- Fight Duration: The fight lasted eight two-minute rounds, differing from traditional three-minute rounds for professional bouts.
- Result: Jake Paul won by unanimous decision, but many fans missed parts of the action.
- Missed Opportunity: Viewers were especially disappointed as the fight was likely one of Tyson’s last.
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Netflix’s Response and Viewership Numbers
Despite the streaming glitches, Netflix reported record-breaking viewership numbers for the event:
- Global Reach: The bout drew a worldwide audience of 60 million, peaking at 65 million concurrent streams.
- Co-Main Event Viewership: Nearly 50 million households tuned in for the co-main event, featuring Katie Taylor defending her undisputed super lightweight championship against Amanda Serrano.
- Future Plans: Netflix touted the event as its largest live sports broadcast to date and a critical test ahead of potential partnerships with the NFL and WWE.
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A New Challenge for Netflix
Streaming live sports is a relatively new venture for Netflix, which offered the Tyson-Paul fight at no additional cost to its 280 million global subscribers.
As Netflix prepares for bigger sporting events, this lawsuit underscores the stakes of ensuring seamless streaming for large-scale audiences.
What’s Next for Fans and Netflix?
The class-action lawsuit raises important questions about accountability in live streaming. Fans expect reliable service, particularly during marquee events.
With the NFL and WWE in Netflix’s sights, the streaming giant must address these issues to maintain viewer trust and meet future demand.
