Netflix is under the spotlight after widespread streaming issues during the highly anticipated Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight on Friday night left millions of fans unable to watch.
With Netflix slated to stream two high-profile NFL games on Christmas Day – Chiefs vs. Steelers at 1 p.m. ET and Texans vs. Ravens at 4:30 p.m. ET – football fans are questioning whether the platform can handle the pressure.
The Tyson-Paul fight, which drew over 60 million viewers, served as an unintended stress test for Netflix’s live-streaming capabilities.
Many viewers experienced alarming disruptions, leading to what one industry insider described as a weekend full of headaches.
“There were clearly a lot of emails and calls flying around over the weekend,” a source told Front Office Sports. “What happened was definitely noted, and there were conversations.”
Despite the concerns, the NFL is standing by Netflix for its Christmas Day games.
League officials reportedly view the Tyson-Paul event as a valuable learning experience. “Better now than on Christmas Day,” one source said.
Netflix Chief Technology Officer Elizabeth Stone addressed the challenges in an internal memo, expressing pride in the team’s response while acknowledging the need for improvement.
“This unprecedented scale created many technical challenges, which the launch team tackled brilliantly by prioritizing stability of the stream for the majority of viewers,” Stone wrote in a company memo. “I’m sure many of you have seen the chatter in the press and on social media about the quality issues.
“We don’t want to dismiss the poor experience of some members, and know we have room for improvement, but still consider this event a huge success.”
The NFL remains confident in Netflix’s ability to deliver a smooth experience for the Christmas games. However, the league has reportedly asked Netflix for assurances and technical updates to prevent a repeat of the fight night fiasco.
It was recently announced that Houston native Beyonce will perform at halftime during the Texans vs. Ravens game.
With tens of millions expected to tune in on Christmas Day, Netflix faces immense pressure to prove that its platform can handle live sports broadcasting at the highest level.
The stakes are high, and fans will be watching closely – not just the games, but Netflix’s overall performance.
What was your streaming experience for the fight?
Do you think Netflix will be able to handle the Christmas games without issue???
