New Delhi: Netflix’s first venture into live sports broadcasting proved to be a knockout success in terms of viewership, with a staggering 60 million households globally tuning in to watch the highly anticipated boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul. The fight, offered free to subscribers, marked a significant milestone for the streaming giant, but it wasn’t without its technical hiccups.
Despite the impressive viewership numbers, the event was marred by widespread reports of streaming issues. Users flocked to social media platforms to express their frustration with glitches, slow buffering, and network problems that disrupted their viewing experience.
Downdetector, a website that tracks online outages, registered over 100,000 complaints during the live stream. Paul himself acknowledged the issues, claiming they “crashed the site” and calling it “the biggest event.” Netflix has yet to release a statement addressing the technical difficulties.
Nevertheless, the fight generated immense buzz and dominated social media conversations. #PaulTyson became the top trending topic worldwide on X (formerly Twitter), while #Serrano, referencing the co-main event featuring Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor, secured the second spot in several countries, including the US, Brazil, Spain, and Canada. The event accounted for 11 of the top 11 trending topics in the US, underscoring its massive popularity.
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Netflix also highlighted the success of the Serrano vs. Taylor women’s boxing match, which drew an audience of nearly 50 million households globally. The company touted it as potentially the most-watched professional women’s sporting event in US history.
Adding to its reach, the fight was distributed to over 6,000 bars and restaurants across the US through Joe Hand Promotions, a leading provider of live sports programming for commercial venues. This distribution strategy set a new record for a combat sports event in the company’s 50-year history.
The event attracted a star-studded audience, with celebrities like Evander Holyfield, Shaquille O’Neal, Sugar Ray Leonard, Jerry Jones, Charlize Theron, and many others gracing the ringside.
