(Updated with more details) The much-hyped, much-delayed live fight on Netflix tonight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul has had some success even before the former heavyweight champion and YouTuber-turned-boxer steps into the ring.
Almost from the start of the undercard bouts from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the streamer was freezing, losing audio and proving slow to reload. Although it didn't crash completely like Netflix did when Luke Cage Launched on the streaming device in October 2016, the audio on the stream repeatedly cut out and the picture quality dropped to smudged pixels frequently.
Across the country, fight fans took to social media to air their grievances, to put it mildly.
“This #Netflix live stream is terrible,” @Cali_Baba wrote on And they are floundering about it. If you have purchased a subscription to this event, I will request a refund first thing tomorrow.
Tonight's fights were the most ambitious live sports event Netflix has ever undertaken. However, with all the issues customers faced, the streamer had no comment on the technical difficulties when contacted by Deadline.
However, Jerry Jones said it all for many when the Dallas Cowboys owner's microphone died in the 80,000-plus capacity stadium and online while praising work with Netflix. And so will soon be the multi-year home of wwe monday night raw, Netflix will show live NFL games on Christmas Day.
As #NetflixCrash and #unwatchable spread across the internet, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy has gone for less cash.
One Barstool Sports host's feed also summed up what a lot of fight fans at home were feeling.
In the lead-up to 58-year-old Tyson and 27-year-old Paul putting their dukees into the former's first professional fight in nearly 20 years, Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano are competing for the IBF and WBA. WBC and WBO titles. While Paul is seen as the favorite against the man known as Iron Mike, Serrano is seen as having the advantage over the Irish fighter in a rematch after the 2022 tournament at Madison Square Garden.
In that context, despite the digital hiccups and all, tonight's fight certainly looked like classic Tyson bouts of the 1980s and 1990s – at least in form.
Like HBO matches in years past, Netflix's coverage of the match had a lot of self-promotion Squid game and Cobra Kai Cameos and promos get airtime, and stars like Furuwasa herself Charlize Theron, Joe Jonas, NBA legend Shaq O'Neal and NFL legend Rob Gronkowski ringside. Going true retro style, the streamer cut to locker room interviews with Paul and Tyson, including one shot of the latter walking away with his butt visible in a jockstrap. “We could have done without that shot there,” he said. Do the right thing Star Rosie Perez, nicknamed the “First Lady of Boxing,” comments alongside Cedric the Entertainer and others.
For some, that shot was frozen, on their screens and in their minds.
Or as Public Enemy's Flav said it perfectly:
Glenn Garner contributed to this report
