By Elizabeth O'Brien

Netflix's much-hyped boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson ended in frustration late Friday night, as the streaming giant faced technical glitches that disrupted viewership and complicated the service's plans to expand its live sports offerings.

The fight between Paul, 27, an internet influencer-turned boxer, and heavyweight legend Tyson, 58, was free to Netflix's more than 282 million paying subscribers. Viewership data was not immediately available for the face-off at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, but reports of technical issues were widespread among viewers at home.

The hashtag #netflixcrash trended on the social media platform X, with users reporting significant buffering and lag times that interrupted their viewing. Users questioned why Netflix was not prepared for the demand -- especially after hyping the match for months -- and one called it "the worst Live in sports entertainment history."

The debacle comes as Netflix prepares to significantly expand its live sports offerings. On Christmas Day, the platform will host two NFL games: the Kansas City Chiefs against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Baltimore Ravens versus the Houston Texans.

"Last year, we decided to take a big bet on live -- tapping into massive fandoms across comedy, reality TV, sports, and more," said Bela Bajaria, Netflix's chief content officer, in a statement announcing the games.

Starting in January, Netflix will be the exclusive new home of WWE Raw wrestling from TKO Group Holdings, Inc.

Analysts say Netflix tends to benefit from big-name promos. Its stock is up 69% this year, much more than streamlining peers, including Walt Disney, which is up 27%, and Comcast, which is down about 2%.

Yet the streaming service's dismal showing on Friday night raises questions about its pivot to live sports. Writing for Outkick, a sports site owned by Fox Corp, Mike Gunzelman wrote that Netflix failed in its one job of assuring that the match went off without a hitch. (Fox Corp shares common ownership with Barron's parent, News Corp.)

"Last night's Paul vs Tyson televised event was supposed to be the example that the company wanted to set for their sports media future," Gunzelman wrote, noting that Netflix instead became a "laughingstock."

Not only does an inconsistent broadcast frustrate fans, but it also throws cold water on sports betting, which depends on second-by-second news and information, he wrote. "Netflix can't afford to have any more mishaps like last night," Gunzelman said.

Barron's reached out to Netflix's Media Center for comment but did not receive a response by press time. The streaming service did not address the technical difficulties on its official X account or on its website's account of the match.

Write to Elizabeth O'Brien at elizabeth.obrien@barrons.com

This content was created by Barron's, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. Barron's is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 16, 2024 12:25 ET (17:25 GMT)

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