Netflix (And The Whole Streaming Industry) Has A Live Coverage Problem

Expectations were high ahead of the boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul. When it was over, however, the audience’s disappointment was palpable.

Not only were there fewer memorable moments than viewers hoped, but Netflix experienced some frustrating technical glitches while trying to stream the event live.

Believing the hype

The Tyson-Paul fight had been heavily promoted for months before the actual event, and a series of broadcast issues left countless fans feeling let down.

Of course, this wasn’t the first live event covered by streaming platforms. Netflix has experimented with live stand-up comedy, for example, with mixed reviews from audiences.

Now, the fight night mishap seems to be another mark against the streaming giant’s foray into live events. And since Netflix has long been the king of the streaming hill, some entertainment industry insiders are wondering if any of the major platforms can take on the considerable challenges of streaming content in real time to homes around the world.

Focusing on football

One of the notable previous issues with live streaming arose just over a year ago when YouTube began offering exclusive coverage of the NFL Sunday Ticket. Viewers quickly sounded the alarm after experiencing outages, buffering, and other interruptions that made action on the field all but impossible to follow.

And Netflix might soon be in the same boat if it doesn’t get a handle on the matter. There’s just over a month left until the platform hosts a Christmas Day Ravens-Texans game featuring a halftime performance by Beyonce. It’s bad enough to upset football fans, but Netflix definitely doesn’t want to be on the Beyhive’s bad side.

Despite the challenges, it’s clear that live coverage can be a moneymaker for streamers … as evidenced by a peak of 65 million streams during the Tyson-Paul match.

Chris Agee November 20th, 2024

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