There is an important difference that we must never forget between analogue and digital technologies that function aselectrical nervous system” of humanity, as Marshall McLuhan said, that is, by the mass media. The point is simple: a television station or an analogue radio transmits its waves over the territory always with the same power it doesn’t matter how many people connect to listen. Instead, a streaming server it can go KO if there are too many people connected. It is no coincidence that Ddos attacks do just this. Technology in this case makes all the difference in the world.
The night of the big crash
Sixty-five million people connected simultaneously they put Netflix’s infrastructure to the test during the Tyson-Paul match. A number that even exceeded the ratings of the NFL games on Thanksgiving Day, which stopped at thirty million spectators. Many users have experienced minimal video qualitywith moments where it felt like we were back in the 56K modem era. The audio has disappeared several times, the resolution has collapsed to early 2000s levels. There are those who, awake in the early hours of the morning still immersed in the darkness, remembered the “stamps” of QuickTime or RealPlayer who broadcast streams little bigger than a current icon.
The site Downdetector he recorded further one hundred thousand reports of malfunctions during the live broadcast. Social networks were flooded with complaints, with the hashtags #NetflixCrash and #unwatchable trending for hours. Even ringside interviews were compromised, with the legendary Evander Holyfield (legendary to American boxing fans) he couldn’t hear the commentators’ questions. The situation reached paradoxical levels when Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’ microphone died just as he was praising the partnership with Netflix.
The economics of scale of streaming
It is not a form of poetic justice of the analog world of the boomers (which Mike Tyson fully represents) against that of the YouTuber Millennials (like his antagonist). It’s simply a question of economy of scale. The economic model of streaming is based on a delicate balance between fixed and variable costs. Servers need to be sized to handle peak traffic, but that means having an oversized infrastructure most of the time. Costs grow linearly with the number of viewers, unlike traditional television. The economic equation becomes increasingly complex as the audience grows.
Netflix has invested billions in its global distribution infrastructure in recent years. The platform has a network of servers distributed throughout the world, the so-called CDNs (Content Delivery Networks)to bring content closer to users. But even this architecture showed its limits when millions of people connected at the same time to watch the same content live.
The resilience of traditional broadcast
Traditional television continues to handle global events without problems. The Super Bowl regularly reaches one hundred and twenty million viewers without a single technical hitch. The Olympics are broadcast to billions of people around the world through an infrastructure that has been proven for decades. The analog signal does not have to worry about the number of tuned receivers.
It would be perfect, except that it won’t last much longer. Indeed, the future is clearly digitalwith the new generations increasingly abandoning traditional TV. Netflix in the US is preparing to broadcast NFL games on Christmas Day, a challenge that will require further investment in infrastructure. The platform will have to demonstrate that it has learned the lessons of the Tyson-Paul match.
The technological challenge of live streaming
The problem is that these types of large streaming architectures have been thought of for the distribution of pre-recorded eventson tape, and not for real-time media events. Live events pose the biggest challenge for streaming platforms. There is no possibility to pre-load content on distributed serverseach frame must be encoded and distributed in real time. Latency becomes a critical factorespecially for sporting events where even a few seconds of delay can ruin the experience.
The quality of fit, which Dynamically changes video resolution based on available connectionwas the relief valve during the match. Many spectators were bypassed by the system from HD quality to a resolution reminiscent of the early days of YouTube. A compromise solution that allowed the service to be kept active, but which showed the limits of the current infrastructure.
Is this a problem? Yes, of course it is. Technical difficulties have a direct impact on brand perception and user loyalty. Netflix has built its reputation on quality of service and ease of use. Live events they represent a new frontier that requires specific skills and investments.
Not to mention that the market for streaming sporting events is destined to grow in the coming years. Amazon Prime Video already broadcasts NFL and Champions League games, Apple TV+ has started with Major League Baseball. There are various championships with rights to purchase in order to rebroadcast them. Dazon itself follows the logic of streaming and not broadcast, like Sky. And he’s already had a lot of problems. Yet, they win. The competition will be played not only on rights but also on the ability to guarantee an up-to-date viewing experience of expectations.
Solutions for the future
The solution, according to streamers, is more technology. The industry is working on new technologies to improve live content distribution. Edge computing promises to bring computing even closer to end users. 5G could offer enough bandwidth capacity to handle millions of simultaneous high-quality connections. 6G is starting to emerge as a “magic wand”, a “tonic for any ailment” that solves all problems.
Ma the real challenge remains economic: how to justify the enormous investments needed to manage events that last a few hours? The answer could come from hybrid models which combine streaming and traditional broadcast. Sky in Europe is already experimenting with this approach for major sporting events.
Be that as it may, the Tyson-Paul match represented a major stress test for the global streaming infrastructure. The technical difficulties have highlighted how the road to completely replacing traditional television is still long. Netflix and the other streaming giants will have to find the right balance between technological investments and economic sustainability.
The future of live events will inevitably come from streamingbut technological innovations and more robust business models are still needed. Old television still has something to teach when it comes to reaching millions of viewers at once. The challenge for digital platforms is replicate that reliability while maintaining the benefits of interactivity and customization that only digital can offer.
The next big test will arrive with NFL games on Christmas Day. Netflix will have the opportunity to demonstrate that it has learned the lessons and implemented the necessary infrastructure improvements. The eyes of the streaming world will be on this eventwhich could mark a turning point in the ability of digital platforms to manage large live events. The future of mass entertainment is at stake.
