Netflix jokes about Mike Tyson-Jake Paul issues but Chiefs game could be a problem
The quality of Friday night’s Mike Tyson-Jake Paul boxing match wasn’t as concerning to viewers as the quality of the broadcast.
Netflix had serious buffering issues that enraged people trying to watch.
The streaming service tried to put a lighthearted spin on the issues with this post on X: “60 million households around the world tuned in live to watch Paul vs. Tyson! The boxing mega-event dominated social media, shattered records, and even had our buffering systems on the ropes.”
Fans weren’t in a laughing mood about that buffering joke, and that was especially true Friday night as they were trying to, you know, watch the fight. What concerned many of those viewers was that Netflix will be streaming the Chiefs’ Christmas Day game against the Steelers.
The good news in Kansas City: the game will air on a local station, so viewers won’t need Netflix. But if you’re a Chiefs fan outside the KC or Pittsburgh areas, Friday night’s debacle was worrisome.
Plenty of fans shared their reactions on X.
Heck, even Chiefs players were unhappy with Netflix.
The boxing match wasn’t the first time Netflix bombed in an effort to livestream an event. It couldn’t handle the demand in April when it tried to put on a “Love Is Blind” reunion.
Time magazine’s headline: “For Netflix, the Love Is Blind Live Reunion Fiasco Is More Than Just Embarrassing.”
Netflix can expect big demand for the Chiefs-Steelers game and the Texans-Ravens contest that follows on Christmas. Friday’s boxing issues have raised red flags as The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch noted in a story about the streaming giant.
“The game production will not be an issue as CBS is handling that, and the NFL Network is charged with pregame, halftime and postgame coverage,” Deitsch wrote. “Neither of those entities has a role in transmission and streaming; that’s on Netflix, and it’s under six weeks until kickoff. ...
“There is money and reputation at stake, and you don’t get a second chance at a first impression. Both entities will be crushed by NFL fans if Christmas brings buffering and dropped streams.”
The Chiefs have become America’s Team, and fans outside the Kansas City area have every reason to be concerned about watching the Christmas Day game based on Netflix’s problems Friday.
This story was originally published November 18, 2024 at 8:59 AM.
