Netflix is reporting that last night’s faceoff between former YouTuber Jake Paul and former boxing champion Mike Tyson drew a historically absurd number of viewers around the planet, which may partially explain the numerous technical glitches of the live stream.
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. pic.twitter.com/kA8LjfAJSk
— Netflix (@netflix) November 16, 2024
More News: Mike Tyson, Jake Paul Given ‘Suspension’ Following Fight
Netflix reports that 60 million households watched the Paul-Tyson fight at various points, peaking at a staggering 65 million concurrent streams at one point.
The platform rarely publicizes its viewing data, unless it has a truly massive hit, but numbers these large are unusual for even the world’s most popular streaming platform.
Sixty-five million concurrent online viewers, if accurate, would make it one of the live-streamed events of all time, behind only the 2022 FIFA World Cup Final and the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey in 2011.
While the Paul vs Tyson fight might have been viewed by a ridiculous number of people around the planet last night, Netflix is not as eager to publicize that it was also seen as something of a depressing letdown marred by numerous technical issues and subpar action.
Paul claimed a dominant unanimous decision victory over Tyson after eight rounds, in a bout that failed to provide the thrilling spectacle many had anticipated and the streaming platform had spent months playing up.
The 27-year-old, who transitioned from child acting to YouTube to boxing, had little trouble handling the 58-year-old Tyson, who was making his first professional fight in nearly two decades. Despite the high-profile nature of the matchup, the fight lacked the drama and intensity expected from such a historic pairing.
Paul controlled the pace throughout, with Tyson struggling to find his rhythm as he faced the younger, quicker opponent. The judges’ scorecards reflected the one-sided nature of the contest, with one scoring it 80-72 and the other two at 79-73, underscoring Paul’s clear superiority in the ring.
At the same time, Netflix’s live stream of the event was plagued by a series of technical difficulties, including constant buffering, freezing, and other disruptions, making for an exasperating viewing experience right from the outset. It is entirely possible that the massive number of concurrent viewers might have pushed even Netflix past its bandwidth capability.
The streaming issues were not limited to connectivity problems; production errors also contributed to the poor quality of the broadcast, leaving viewers frustrated and disappointed.
More News: Internet Goes Wild After Netflix Accidentally Shows Mike Tyson’s Bare Butt
Despite Tyson’s defeat in the ring, he quickly became a viral sensation for an entirely different reason. In a highly awkward moment, Netflix accidentally aired a shot of Tyson’s bare backside during a pre-fight interview, an unintentional slip-up that instantly caught the attention of social media.
What was likely an unfortunate mistake by the streaming giant quickly transformed into an internet sensation, with memes and jokes circulating widely.
While the fight may have been disappointing, at least tens of millions of people got to see that.
For more on Mike Tyson and Jake Paul, head to Newsweek Sports.
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