Netflix Sued Over Jake Paul and Mike Tyson Fight

A Florida man is taking Netflix to court after technical difficulties allegedly ruined his viewing of the highly anticipated Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match, marking the latest headache for the streaming giant’s foray into live sports.

Ronald “Blue” Denton of Hillsborough County filed a lawsuit in Florida state court claiming Netflix delivered an “unwatchable” spectacle to viewers, citing widespread streaming issues during the Nov. 15 event at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Variety reports. The legal action accuses the platform of breach of contract and deceptive practices.

According to the lawsuit, “boxing fans, along with the average Americans wanting to see a legend in what would most likely be his last fight, were faced with legendary problems, including: no access, streaming glitches and buffering issues.” The problems affected more than 100,000 viewers, with many unable to connect at all, while others experienced poor image quality, slow performance, and continuous pauses.

The complaint argues Netflix was “woefully ill-prepared” for the broadcast, suggesting the company should have anticipated potential technical issues given previous problems with live events, specifically referencing difficulties during a Love is Blind reunion episode.

Technical problems were extensively documented during the fight, with Downdetector recording over 90,000 reports of service issues at the event’s peak. Denton is seeking to elevate the case to class-action status, potentially including all viewers who experienced difficulties.

Despite the technical challenges, Netflix reported an impressive global audience of 108 million viewers. The co-main event featuring Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor achieved a milestone as the most-watched women’s sports event in history.

Beyond streaming issues, the fight itself generated considerable controversy among viewers. Many expressed disappointment with the bout’s quality, while others questioned its authenticity. The streaming service had relentlessly advertised the event in the weeks prior but appeared unprepared when the moment arrived. Much of the dissatisfaction appeared to stem from the 31-year age gap between the 58-year-old Tyson and 27-year-old Paul, with the younger fighter securing victory.

The streaming troubles have emerged as just one of Netflix’s legal challenges. The company simultaneously faces an antitrust lawsuit from former Facebook Watch users, who allege Netflix and Meta collaborated to undermine the Facebook Watch streaming service to maintain Netflix’s market dominance. As of publication, Netflix had not responded to any outlets’ requests for comment on the lawsuit.