Netflix faces $50M class-action lawsuit over Tyson-Paul fight streaming issues
Netflix is being sued for at least US$50 million in a class-action case after streaming glitches disrupted the highly anticipated boxing match between the legendary Mike Tyson and YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.
Filed in Florida state court by Hillsborough County resident Ronald “Blue” Denton, the lawsuit alleges breach of contract and accuses Netflix of failing to provide the quality streaming service it promised for the fight on Nov. 15. Denton claims the issues marred the viewing experience for millions of customers across the U.S, New York Post reported.
“60 million Americans were hyped to see ‘Iron Mike’, ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet,’ face off against YouTuber-turned-prizefighter Jake Paul. What they saw was ‘The Baddest Streaming on Planet,’” the lawsuit states.
The suit alleges that many viewers missed portions of the fight due to glitches. It also cites more than 100,000 complaints online, claiming Netflix was unprepared for the surge in demand.
“Boxing fans, as well as average Americans eager to watch a legend in what might be his final fight, faced legendary problems: no access, streaming interruptions, and buffering issues,” the lawsuit reads.
Outage-monitoring site Down Detector recorded nearly 85,000 complaints about streaming issues before and during the fight.
The fight consisted of eight two-minute rounds, different from the usual three-minute rounds in professional boxing. Jake Paul won via unanimous decision.
Netflix reported that the event at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, drew a global audience of 60 million, peaking at 65 million concurrent streams.
The streaming platform, which hosted its largest live sports event to date, acknowledged the technical difficulties and said it would provide additional viewership information.
Netflix also announced that nearly 50 million households tuned in to the co-main event featuring Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, with Taylor defending her undisputed super lightweight championship in a disputed decision.
