A Netflix subscriber has filed a lawsuit against the streaming giant following widespread technical issues during the much-anticipated Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight on November 15. Ronald “Blue” Denton, a Florida resident, submitted the complaint in state court on Monday, accusing Netflix of breach of contract and deceptive trade practices. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages and class-action status for other affected subscribers.
Denton alleges that Netflix was “woefully ill-prepared” for the massive audience the event attracted, rendering the livestream “unwatchable” for many viewers. Social media lit up on the night of the fight, with complaints about frozen screens and constant buffering.
Despite the glitches, Netflix reported a record-breaking estimated average minute audience of 108 million viewers globally, with a peak of 65 million concurrent streams. In the U.S. alone, the fight drew 38 million simultaneous viewers, making it the “most-streamed global sporting event ever,” according to the platform.
However, Denton’s lawsuit paints a starkly different picture, claiming that over 100,000 users took to social media to express frustration. The complaint says boxing fans eager to watch Tyson, 58, likely in his final fight, against YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul, 27, were met with “legendary problems” like streaming errors and inaccessibility.
Denton’s filing also points to Netflix’s prior technical mishaps, including the infamous delays during the Love Is Blind live reunion in April 2023. That event, plagued by streaming issues, wasn’t made available until 19 hours after its scheduled time.
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“Netflix should have been better prepared,” the lawsuit argues, citing repeated failures to handle high-demand events.
The heavyweight bout at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, ended with Jake Paul securing a unanimous decision victory over Tyson after eight rounds. While fans of both fighters tuned in for a historic clash, Denton’s lawsuit suggests that Netflix’s technical problems overshadowed the event for many subscribers.
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