Netflix Apologizes After Backlash Over Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul Streaming

Netflix spent months building up the fight between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson, only for the live-streamed event to be called “unwatchable” and marred by near-constant technical glitches. It reached the point that even the official Netflix commentators had to apologize for how bad it was getting.

More News: Fans Irate With Netflix After Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul Fight Becomes Unwatchable

Netflix’s first venture into live combat sports hit some significant hurdles on last night, as technical issues plagued the streaming of key bouts leading up to the highly anticipated Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul main event.

The platform, which streams to nearly 300 million subscribers across almost 200 countries, had promised viewers a live broadcast featuring four action-packed fights, with the night’s finale showcasing a clash between boxing legend Tyson and controversial YouTuber Paul at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

However, things quickly went awry, as viewers experienced frequent buffering, stream freezes, and other disruptions throughout the event. From the start, Netflix’s live broadcast struggled to deliver a seamless experience.

Social media was flooded with complaints from frustrated subscribers, who described the viewing experience as a “classic torture chamber,” a “circle of infinite buffering,” and by simply saying, “This buffering s*** is dumb.”

These issues were not limited to the stream itself—technical glitches also affected the broadcast production.

During early interviews, both Evander Holyfield’s earpiece and Jerry Jones’ microphone malfunctioned, adding to the mounting frustration. Later, British presenter Kate Abdo was forced to issue an apology after a series of technical glitches disrupted Netflix’s live broadcast.

The seasoned presenter, who led the coverage, was joined by boxing legends Andre Ward, Lennox Lewis, and Evander Holyfield at the broadcast desk. As the show progressed, Abdo repeatedly sought the trio’s analysis of the preliminary bouts, but a major issue quickly became apparent: Holyfield’s headphones malfunctioned, leaving the Hall of Famer unable to hear any of the questions Abdo posed.

This created an awkward pause in the broadcast, prompting Abdo to ask Holyfield’s former rival, Lennox Lewis, to step in and offer his thoughts on her behalf.

Realizing the technical difficulties were causing a disruption, Abdo quickly apologized, saying, “Evander, I’m so sorry about the sound.” She then thanked Lewis for his help, adding, “Lennox, thank you for stepping in and helping with the interview. We appreciate you.”

Jake Paul secured an eight-round unanimous decision over Mike Tyson, in a fight that ultimately failed to meet expectations. The 27-year-old YouTuber-turned-boxer dominated the former heavyweight champion, who was making his first sanctioned professional appearance in almost 20 years.

More News: Jake Paul Defeats Mike Tyson by Unanimous Decision

What had been billed as an intense showdown quickly lost its edge. The animosity that fueled the pre-fight hype faded away, replaced by boos from an audience that had hoped for more.

The judges scored the bout decisively in Paul’s favor: one gave him an 80-72 lead, while the other two called it 79-73. Despite Tyson’s storied career, the fight did little to quiet the doubts about the authenticity of the event.

“Let’s give it up for Mike,” Paul said in the ring as the audience began to leave before the decision was even announced. “He’s the greatest to ever do it. I look up to him. I’m inspired by him.”

For more on Jake Paul and Mike Tyson, head to Newsweek Sports.