Netflix Inc.’s entry into the world of live sports streaming with its boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul attracted a massive global audience that peaked at 65 million viewers, but led to thousands of complaints from viewers about connection issues and frozen screens.
“We destroyed the site,” Paul (27 years old) said after his victory over Tyson (58 years old). “This is the biggest event.”
In an internal company memo seen by Bloomberg News, Chief Technology Officer Elizabeth Stone said the match attracted a maximum of 65 million viewers at any given time, rivaling some of the most-watched sporting events.
Some of those viewers took to social media to vent their frustration over glitches in the broadcast of the highly anticipated showdown. Over 100,000 users reported network issues on the Downdetector website throughout the live stream, commenting on slow buffering and network issues. Even boxer Evander Holyfield had difficulty hearing the presenter when asked about his infamous fight with Tyson.
Netflix declined to comment on the overall outcome of the event.
The company’s largest live streaming event is part of its ambition to boost its fledgling advertising business. Netflix is investing in its live event capabilities for huge spectacles like a boxing match after previous streaming missteps like Love is blind Reunion disaster. The platform showed a teaser for upcoming NFL games on Christmas Day during Friday’s game.
The bout between former heavyweight champion Tyson and YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, failed to live up to the hype, with critics calling it a lackluster bout. The judges unanimously decided that Paul won the fight after eight rounds without a knockout.
Tyson has come out of retirement to face Paul, and the bout is expected to be a major driver for Netflix subscriptions. There is potential for a total gain of $10 million in the fourth quarter, 11% ahead of consensus, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.
Before the match, users on social media site
“Seriously? Why did you check there were no server issues?” a user named TheYounger posted in response to a post by Netflix announcing the fight.
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