The inability of Netflix to deliver an acceptable and consistent experience during the Jake Paul real-world boxing fantasy camp featuring Mike Tyson has already spawned litigation.
Via multiple reports, at least two class actions have already been filed by customers seeking compensation for Netflix’s failure to deliver the promised product.
It’s relevant to the NFL for two reasons. First, if a similar problem happens with one or both of the Christmas games to be streamed by Netflix five weeks from today, Netflix and the NFL could face legal scrutiny. Especially since the NFL now has reason to know that Netflix might not be able to accomplish the task of delivering the games to viewers.
Second, it shows how easy it is for class-action lawsuits to be filed. The NFL faces the constant risk of such claims as a result of wagers gone bad due to bad calls that the NFL has failed to reasonably eradicate, or because of the failure of teams to disclose injury information.
As to the Paul-Tyson fight, separate liability could emerge for similar reasons. Anyone who bet on Paul to win by KO or TKO could craft a lawsuit based on this comment from Paul, when asked whether he took his foot off the gas during the third round: “Yeah, definitely. Definitely a bit. I wanted to give the fans a show, but I didn’t want to hurt someone that didn’t need to be hurt.”
Hell, he’s admitting it. Admitting that he didn’t go all out. Admitting that he passed on a chance to knock Tyson out.
Why would Paul do it? By not knocking out or otherwise embarrassing the 58-year-old fighter who looked every minute of his age, Paul could fight more over-the-hill boxers — and make a bunch of money for doing it. Carry them, don’t humiliate them, and keep doing it. Again. And again. And again.
Until, of course, the audience gets wise to it. But if the audience isn’t wise to it already, the audience never will be.
