What Paul–Tyson Stream Issues Mean for Netflix’s NFL Games

Netflix is announcing massive streaming numbers for its Jake Paul and Mike Tyson fight from over the weekend. However, the streaming service also suffered a technical knockout thanks to buffering and crash issues, and it’s raised questions among viewers and advertisers as the company’s two exclusive NFL Christmas games loom.

The streaming giant has a lot of positives to take from the Nov. 15 fight, which showcased the 27-year-old Paul taking down the 58-year-old Tyson in a unanimous decision. According to the streamer, the event received 108 million live viewers globally. Netflix said those numbers made the boxing match the most-streamed sporting event ever, peaking at 65 million concurrent streams.

Meanwhile, the lead-in fight showcasing Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor received 74 million live viewers globally and became the most-watched professional women’s sports event in U.S. history with a 47 million average minute audience, according to Netflix.

However, the stream was also plagued by connectivity issues and buffering.

As noted by The New York Times, Downdetector, which tracks reports of internet disruptions, received more than 500,000 reports that viewers were having problems streaming on Netflix. The streaming issues have also led to a headline-grabbing class-action lawsuit by an unsatisfied viewer. And the complaints were so prevalent that Netflix even acknowledged the troubles on its social account:

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. pic.twitter.com/kA8LjfAJSk

— Netflix (@netflix) November 16, 2024

Given the issues, the streaming experience for NFL Christmas Day games, as well as Netflix’s other upcoming live events including WWE Monday Night RAW and John Mulaney’s live variety show, is top of mind with advertisers and viewers.

Mike Proulx, vice president and research director at Forrester, noted that this isn’t a first for Netflix, with the streamer having issues with live programming reliability in the past. For instance, the streamer had to delay a live Love Is Blind reunion in 2023 due to technical issues, later airing a taped version of the show.

“Clearly, they were not able to learn from their past mistakes to get it right for this high-profile live event, and in just a few weeks’ time, they’re bound to have another hugely high-profile event, which is the NFL on Christmas Day,” Proulx said, adding that the recent announcement of Beyoncé performing at the Christmas Day halftime show will bring even more viewers.