NeNetflix’s attempt to enter live sports has landed it in hot water. Israeli subscribers, led by a pair of lawyers, filed a class-action lawsuit worth about $2.75 million (NIS 10 million) against the streaming giant. The reason? Their much talked about live broadcast of the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight on November 16 was a disaster. Instead of a seamless “Fight of the Century”, viewers were treated to frozen screens and technical chaos.
Subscribers reportedly shelled out NIS 54.90 ($15) a month expecting top-notch service, only to receive a middle-of-the-night wake-up call of frustration. Around 100,000 Israeli fans stayed up until 3am just to watch a digital freeze-frame contest. Adding insult to injury, Netflix has not admitted fault or offered compensation.
The lawsuit, filed by attorney Eliezer Schwartz, accuses Netflix of breaking its promise, leaving fans annoyed and questioning its live sports future.
A similar class-action lawsuit over the same broadcast chaos has already been filed in the United States, but the Israeli claim is sticking with the local crowd. As it stands, Netflix hasn’t bothered to respond, and the court has yet to make a decision.
Netflix’s silence so far may be tougher than the actual battle. Fans? Furious. Streaming service? Embarrassed. Outcome? To decide. If Netflix was aiming to knock it out of the park, it might just have hit itself in the face.
