Netflix facing lawsuit over Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson streaming issues

Netflix is being sued over the streaming issues during its broadcast of Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson at AT&T Stadium this past Friday.

According to TMZ Sports, Ronald “Blue” Denton filed the suit in Florida on Monday. Denton claims that he and others “were faced with legendary problems, including: no access, streaming glitches, and buffering issues” upon tuning into the broadcast at around 8 p.m. ET. Denton is suing Netflix for breach of contract, asking for unspecified damages.

The buffering issues with the broadcast were well documented during the event, with many voicing their displeasure with Netflix on social media. The Paul-Tyson fight was one of the first live sporting events streamed on Netflix.

Netflix’s buffering issues are especially concerning given the upcoming slate of events on the streaming app. The NFL is gearing up for a Christmas Day doubleheader on Netflix and the streaming service will begin airing WWE’s “Monday Night Raw” on Jan. 6, 2025.

While Netflix has yet to comment on the pending litigation, they did release a statement Saturday acknowledging the issues with the broadcast

“We don’t want to dismiss the poor experience of some members,” Netflix said, “and know we have room for improvement, but still consider this event a huge success.”

Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson: Netflix announces record-setting viewers for heavyweight fight

Those who were able to watch witnessed Paul notching a decision victory over Tyson. Paul, riding a five-fight win streak, improved to 11-1 as a professional boxer. The heavyweight matchup had been a long time coming. It was initially scheduled for July 20 but was rescheduled after Tyson suffered an ulcer flare-up on a May 26 flight from Miami to Los Angeles. Tyson’s doctors forced him to limit training for several weeks to allow his ulcer to flare up.

Tyson revealed Saturday that the health scare almost cost him his life.

“This is one of those situations when you lost but still won,” Tyson wrote on X. “I’m grateful for last night. No regrets to get in ring one last time. I almost died in June. Had 8 blood transfusions. Lost half my blood and 25lbs in hospital and had to fight to get healthy to fight so I won.

“To have my children see me stand toe to toe and finish 8 rounds with a talented fighter half my age in front of a packed Dallas Cowboy stadium is an experience that no man has the right to ask for. Thank you.”

For the Paul-Tyson fight, specifically, viewership peaked at 65 million concurrent streams with 60 million households watching. Additionally, 6,000 bars and other venues were airing the event as part of the promotion. That set a record for Joe Hand Promotions, the company in charge of placing the fight in those commercial venues.