How many people watched Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson? Netflix fight draws huge audience despite streaming issues

David Suggs

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How many people watched Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson? Netflix fight draws huge audience despite streaming issues image

Boxing fans hoped Netflix's live coverage of Jake Paul's clash with Mike Tyson — and the matches that preceded it —  would go off without a hitch.

What viewers got instead was an amalgam of buffering issues, choppy analysis and the dreaded "black screen of death."

As the night went on, more and more subscribers took to social media to express frustration over Netflix's performance, starting well before Paul and Tyson made their way to the ring.

With the streaming giant set to host not one but two NFL games on Christmas Day later this year, Friday's showing could be a bad omen for sports fans.

Here's what you need to know.

MORE PAUL VS. TYSON COVERAGE:

How many people watched Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson?

Despite all the streaming service's issues, plenty of viewers tuned into the broadcast.

According to Netflix, 60 million households watched the fight between Paul and Tyson, and 50 million households watched Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano in the co-main event. Netflix claims that the Taylor vs. Serrano fight was the "most watched professional women's sporting event in U.S. history."

Netflix buffering issues, explained

Countless Netflix users complained about the quality of Friday night's stream. Some were presented with lengthy loading screens, while others were dealt a more tragic fate: being hit with the "black screen of death."

Increased viewership did little to stop the issue. In fact, it very well could have exacerbated it.

Fans continued to encounter the sputtering stream as the night continued, missing parts of the action as Mario Barrios and Abel Ramos dueled for welterweight gold. Suffice to say, viewers were not very entertained

Netflix showed no sign of being able to quell the rot, as the issues continued into the main fight. For pugilist promoters worldwide, that was a tough pill to swallow.

Antonio Brown livestream

Netflix's broadcast issues led some viewers to turn to an unusual solution: Antonio Brown's livestream on X, formerly Twitter.

The former NFL wide receiver started a live video from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the location of the fight. He kept his camera trained on the massive scoreboard at the Dallas Cowboys' stadium.

Midway through the Paul vs. Tyson fight, 6.4 million viewers were locked on his livestream.

David Suggs

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.