Netflix exec confesses as NFL fans worry about Christmas games after Paul-Tyson streaming debacle

Netflix's highly-anticipated boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul turned into a streaming nightmare for many fans. Despite the company boasting a record-breaking 60 million viewers, widespread reports of buffering, freezing, and crashes marred the live event. This technical debacle has reportedly also raised serious concerns among NFL fans, especially when the OTT giant is set to stream a doubleheader on Christmas Day.

However, according to Bloomberg in a message to employees, Netflix CTO Elizabeth Stone acknowledged the issues, admitting the streamer's technical challenges while stressing their commitment to improving.

Netflix admits to streaming fiasco during Paul vs. Tyson

“This unprecedented scale created many technical challenges, which the launch team tackled brilliantly by prioritising the stability of the stream for the majority of viewers,” Netflix CTO reportedly told her employees.

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“I’m sure many of you have seen the chatter in the press and on social media about the quality issues,” the message continued, highlighting the top trends of the day where users slammed and criticized the OTT streamer for being so ignorant toward this much-hyped game and failing to handle live streaming. “We don’t want to dismiss the poor experience of some members, and know we have room for improvement, but still consider this event a huge success.”

The boxing bout ended with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul emerging victorious over ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson, who appeared tired by the eighth round, with Paul winning by unanimous decision. The streaming crash was also mocked on Saturday Night Live, where Michael Che and Colin Jost poked fun, with Jost saying, “Last night, Jake Paul and Mike Tyson teamed up to defeat everyone watching.”

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NFL fans concerned for Christmas Day doubleheader

The constant buffering and crashes that plagued the Tyson-Paul fight during the main event have sparked worry among NFL fans as well. Netflix debuted in the world of major sports events, and the bandwidth issues have raised questions about the company's ability to handle a high-profile event like the Christmas Day NFL doubleheader.

The matchups between the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers, followed by the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans, are crucial games with huge playoff implications. With four passionate fanbases eagerly anticipating the big day, the fear of a repeat performance on Christmas Day has opened a floodgate of criticism, with some pundits, like Clay Travis, calling it a "disaster" for Netflix. "They have no chance of successfully airing a Chiefs-Steelers Christmas Day NFL game based on this performance," Clay Travis added, according to Fox.

"If the Steelers-Chiefs Christmas Day game on #Netflix looks like this, there are going to be tables overturned with half-eaten Christmas hams all over western PA," Randy Baumann tweeted adding, "Scalloped potatoes will be hurled at aunts and uncles.”