Netflix Exec Calls Tyson-Paul Stream ‘Huge Success’ Despite ‘Technical Challenges’

Netflix isn’t ignoring the heat it took during Friday’s Jake Paul–Mike Tyson fight. But despite the technical glitches, a company executive called the live event a big win for the streamer. 

The fight, which at its peak drew 65 million viewers, according to Netflix, drew thousands of complaints on the stream quality, resulting in buffering, frozen screens, and connection issues. The website Downdetector, which helps users identify connectivity issues, reported more than 100,000 complaints during the broadcast, according to Bloomberg. Paul beat Tyson, who is 31 years his senior, by unanimous decision in the bout, which didn’t quite meet the massive hype leading up to the fight. 

In a memo to employees, Netflix CTO Elizabeth Stone acknowledged the streaming hitches. 

“This unprecedented scale created many technical challenges, which the launch team tackled brilliantly by prioritizing stability of the stream for the majority of viewers,” Stone said in the memo, reported by Bloomberg. “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.”

Netflix’s streaming issues raised questions over whether the company can handle the two NFL games it will stream on Christmas Day. The Tyson-Paul fight was one of the most highly viewed events in the streamer’s history and the two games will likely draw even more eyeballs. On Sunday, Netflix announced Beyoncé will perform at halftime of the Ravens-Texans game on Christmas, which will be played in Houston, from where the pop star hails. 

A year ago, Netflix had streaming issues during the season finale of the popular reality dating show Love Is Blind, which prevented viewers from seeing the live reunion following the conclusion of the season. A recorded reunion wound up airing much later than its scheduled time, which the company apologized for on its next earnings call. 

Many viewers of the Paul-Tyson fight were livid and made it known online. One Reddit user said, “Everyone who bought a Netflix subscription should demand a refund.” Another posted: “Lol they knew the traffic levels but can’t manage. How are they going to handle Christmas day games?”

Netflix also has a streaming deal with World Wrestling Entertainment that will start Jan. 6, 2025, which could prove to be another test for how it handles large audiences without compromising streaming quality.