Netflix’s recent attempt at live streaming a boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson did not go as smoothly as planned. Despite the excitement surrounding the fight, viewers were left frustrated with glitchy experiences such as freezing and buffering while watching on Netflix. The hashtag #NetflixCrash was even trending on social media as users reported over 1 million issues with Netflix in various countries, including half a million in the United States alone, with peak problems occurring at 11 pm Eastern time.
Jake Paul, the victor of the match, boasted about the event’s popularity, claiming that over 120 million people were trying to watch it on Netflix, causing the site to crash. This incident is not the first time Netflix has faced difficulties with live programming, as seen with delays during the broadcast of the “Love is Blind” Season 4 reunion last year. Despite these setbacks, Netflix has been expanding its live content offerings with sports events, talk shows, and awards ceremonies, generally without major technical issues.
Although Netflix does not disclose detailed viewership data, it was reported that around 60 million households tuned in to watch the fight live, with a peak of 65 million concurrent streams. This boxing match served as a significant test for Netflix’s live streaming infrastructure, especially with upcoming live events such as NFL games on Christmas Day and WWE Raw in January. The streaming platform now has a short window to address and improve its live streaming capabilities to ensure a smoother experience for viewers in the future.
