Friday night’s highly anticipated Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul boxing event on Netflix generated widespread criticism—not for the action in the ring, but for technical issues that left viewers frustrated.
Social media buzzed with complaints about streaming problems, including pixelation, stuttering, and even outright crashes. The issues began well before the main event at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, disrupting undercard fights as fans struggled with viewing difficulties.
According to the tracking website Downdetector.com, reports of Netflix outages spiked just before 8 p.m. local time, peaking at over 88,700 by 9:30 p.m. The main fight, featuring boxing legend Mike Tyson and YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, kicked off shortly after 11 p.m.
Frustrated users on X (formerly Twitter) shared pixelated gifs and memes mocking Netflix, including throwbacks to the “connecting” screen from the early days of AOL, joking about the apparent struggles of Netflix’s IT team.
A Netflix spokesperson declined to comment on the issue when contacted via email.
While reports of streaming issues persisted into the marquee fight, the volume had significantly decreased compared to the earlier spike.
The 58-year-old Mike Tyson, a former heavyweight champion and boxing icon, faced 27-year-old Jake Paul, who gained fame as a social media personality before transitioning to professional boxing.
The event was initially slated for July 20 but was postponed due to Tyson’s health complications in May, when an ulcer flare-up disrupted his training.
