The much-anticipated boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul, streamed on Netflix, faced significant backlash not for the fighters but due to streaming issues.
Before the main event kicked off at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, viewers expressed frustration over poor video quality, including pixelation, interruptions, and even crashes, which marred the excitement of the undercard fights.
As reported by downdetector.com, complaints about Netflix’s service surged just before 8 PM local time, peaking around 9:30 PM with over 88,700 reports of problems.
The headline match between boxing icon Tyson and social media star-turned-boxer Paul began shortly after 11 PM.
Users on X shared GIFs showcasing the pixelation issues along with humorous remarks and images, poking fun at the streaming platform’s troubles, reminiscent of the infamous “Connecting” screen from the early days of the internet.
Hashtags like #NetflixFight, #buffering, and #netflixcrash dominated social media conversations.
In an email, a representative from Netflix declined to comment on the situation.
While some issues lingered due to the high-profile match, reports of difficulties decreased following the earlier spike, according to downdetector.com.
Mike Tyson, 58, has made a lasting impact in the world of boxing as a former heavyweight champion, while 27-year-old Jake Paul transitioned from social media fame to the boxing ring.
Originally slated for July 20, the event was postponed to Friday because Tyson experienced a recurrence of an ulcer in May that hampered his training.
In the end, Paul emerged victorious, winning by unanimous decision.
