Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson boxing match attracts 65 million viewers on Netflix despite streaming issues

Netflix’s foray into live sports streaming saw a blend of success and technical difficulties during its debut event featuring Jake Paul and Mike Tyson. The boxing match attracted a peak audience of 65 million viewers globally, marking a significant achievement for the platform. However, some users faced issues such as frozen screens and connection errors.

Netflix announced that 60 million households worldwide watched the fight, with streams peaking at 65 million. This positions Netflix as a formidable player in the live sports streaming market. Additionally, about 50 million households tuned in for the co-main event between Ireland’s Katie Taylor and Puerto Rico’s Amanda Serrano, which Netflix claims could be the most-watched professional women’s sporting event in US history.

Despite the success, the event was marred by technical problems, with over 90,000 users reporting issues during the live stream, according to Downdetector. Complaints centered on video streaming (87%), server connections (12%), and login issues (1%). The outage, which lasted around six hours in the United States, was resolved by Saturday.

In the ring, Jake Paul emerged victorious over Mike Tyson with a 79-73 decision. After initially struggling, Paul took control from the third round, preventing Tyson from regaining momentum. Paul described the event as a monumental success, acknowledging the site crash as evidence of its impact. A post-fight video from Netflix showed Paul paying respect to Tyson.

The success of the Paul-Tyson event suggests Netflix’s potential to influence the live sports streaming market. However, addressing technical issues is crucial for providing smoother experiences in future events. With impressive viewership numbers, Netflix has made a significant entry into sports streaming, but its ability to maintain this momentum remains to be seen.