Things were pretty good for Netflix when more than 65 million households watched the match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul. However, those who watched it went through a lot of problems.
Still, one thing is sure. Netflix needs bigger and far bigger servers if they want to upscale their live sports thing.
Netflix is stepping into the big leagues with its upcoming NFL Christmas Day games, featuring the Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, and Houston Texans.
But after facing technical issues during the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight, can the platform deliver a smooth streaming experience for millions of football fans?
More importantly, the NFL is a huge huge deal. It is one of the biggest sporting events in the US and Netflix can’t afford to not take it seriously.
The Paul-Tyson bout was a massive draw, pulling in 60 million viewers. However not without over 90,000 streaming complaints during the event. Many viewers suffered with buffering, poor video quality, and even interruptions. While Netflix’s tech chief, Elizabeth Stone, called the event a success because of its scale, she admitted there’s “room for improvement.”
Now, the stakes are even higher. NFL games are a different ballgame altogether, attracting millions of passionate fans who demand nothing less than flawless streaming. And with Beyoncé set to perform at halftime during the Ravens-Texans game, Netflix’s servers will face even more pressure.
Netflix is working closely with CBS Sports for production but will shoulder the responsibility for how well the games stream.
If Netflix can pull this off, it’ll prove the platform is ready for live sports and also for competition from the likes of Amazon, ESPN, and others. But any major hiccups could damage its reputation and future in this field.
Let’s see what it does.