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More than 100 million people around the world tuned in to the ultra-hyped boxing match between former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson and YouTuber Jake Paul on Nov. 15. Well, that many people reportedly tried to watch it, but due to the crush of interest and tune-ins, many reported experiencing buffering problems and glitches that interrupted what turned out to be a surprisingly banal slugfest.
That got some pundits wondering if Netflix is fully ready to provide reliable streams during its upcoming Christmas Day NFL double-header over the internet’s point-to-point communication system, which at the moment is not always as reliable as traditional broadcast TV’s multipoint infrastructure when millions, or tens of millions of people try to stream an event at the same time.
In particular, the Beyhive is buzzing about whether Beyoncé‘s planned halftime show during the streamer’s first-ever Christmas Day NFL two-fer might fall prey to similar buffering issues as the at-times pokey prizefight. But when TMZ caught up this week with Bey’s mom, Tina Knowles, to ask if she’s sweating the streamer’s technique in advance of her daughter’s performance during the game between the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens, Ms. Knowles said she’s confident the good lord will provide a strong, steady connection.
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“Everything’s going to be good. God is going to be there,” Knowles said of her expectations for the 4:30 p.m. ET game that will stream live on Netflix from NRG Stadium in Beyoncé’s hometown of Houston. The spot will be Bey’s first live performance of tracks from her lauded country-inspired Cowboy Carter album, which gave the singer her eighth consecutive No. 1 LP on the Billboard 200, as well as topping the Top Country Albums tally.
Earlier this week, Netflix dropped a dramatic preview video of the special event featuring Beyoncé in which the singer was draped in red, white and blue Western gear and a white cowboy hat while standing on top of a tricked out vintage car covered in red roses. With an a cappella version of the Cowboy Carter song “AMERICAN REQUIEM” playing the background, Bey casually catches a football in the brief clip hyping the game.
NPR reported that a spokesperson said that Netflix is confident it has the infrastructure needed to prepare for the two games and is working to “optimize its systems and add more capacity” to make improvements based on lessons learned from the Tyson-Paul fight, including working with internet service providers to grows its “interconnection capabilities.”
According to The Wrap, Nexflix was sued this week in a class action complaint over the “streaming glitches” in the Tyson-Paul fight. “Sixty million Americans were hyped to see ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson, ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ versus YouTuber-turned-prizefighter Jake Paul. What they saw was ‘The Baddest Streaming on the Planet,’” read the lawsuit filed on Monday in the 13th Judicial Circuit Court in Hillsborough County, Florida.
Though the massive tune-in was deemed a success by Netflix, in a statement the streamer said there was room to do better, according to Bloomberg. “This unprecedented scale created many technical challenges, which the launch team tackled brilliantly by prioritizing stability of the stream for the majority of viewers,” Netflix CFO Elizabeth Stone reportedly wrote in a note to employees about the event that the streamer said racked up 65 million live concurrent streams and 108 million total live viewers around the globe.
“I’m sure many of you have seen the chatter in the press and on social media about the quality issues,” she continued. “We don’t want to dismiss the poor experience of some members, and know we have room for improvement, but still consider this event a huge success.”
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Source: EA Sports / Tiburon / Madden NFL 25
The Saquan Barkley spin hurdle is now one of the best signature football plays since Odell Beckham Jr.’s epic one-handed grab, and can now be done in Madden NFL 25.
In its latest Gridiron Notes, EA Sports shared that Madden NFL 25 players will see several new updates in the game following the release of the latest update.
The inclusion of Saquan Barkley’s spin hurdle heads those updates. It has easily taken the lead in being THE PLAY of the 2024-25 NFL season, so it should come as no surprise that the developers at Tiburon went out of their way to get the move into the game, showing off the impressive power of the new physics engine.
Here is a breakdown of how they got the incredible football play into the video game:
The next step was to pore through hours of real-life motion capture and figure out which animations could be combined, adjusted and tweaked to give us Saquon’s surrealism. Spade said the genesis of the animation came from old Superstar Mode motion capture, and with a little “animator magic,” what they concocted conjured the spectacle that is Saquon Barkley.
Madden Game Designer Spade spoke about the move, saying, “It’s rare, this day and age, to see something that’s never been done before. That’s when we knew we wanted it in-game.”
See Saquan Barkley pulling off the move in-game below.
So, how do you pull off the move? EA shared the instructions:
Triggering the Saquon Spin Hurdle – To trigger the spin hurdle the ball-carrier must be Saquon Barkley, the defender must be incoming from a 45 degree angle in front of the ball carrier, the defender must be within a close proximity to the ball carrier, and the user must press the hurdle button with the right timing.
Other Updates Coming To Madden NFL 25
Barkley’s incredible play isn’t the only addition to the game following the latest update. Madden gamers can expect many fixes, quality-of-life improvements, updates to players, game modes, and new gear.
Head here to see the full breakdown of the latest Madden NFL 25 update.
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Beyoncé and her immeasurable influence on music and culture is nearly impossible to put into words, and now her adoring fans will have more reasons to celebrate the talented entertainer around the holidays. On Christmas Day, Beyoncé will perform a halftime show as the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texas battle it out on the field.
For Netflix’s first-ever NFL Christmas Gameday event, Beyoncé will bring her talents to the Texans’ NRG Stadium in front of her hometown crowd in what can only be described as the best present ever for Queen Bey fans. Songs from Houston native’s latest album, COWBOY CARTER, will also be performed live for the first time.
Netflix kept mum regarding the details of the performance although they said there could be some surprises, but a teaser clip from Beyoncé captures the essence of what viewers and those in attendance can expect. In the video announcement shared on social media, Mrs. Knowles-Carter can be seen atop a rose-adorned vehicle singing “American Requiem” from the aforementioned COWBOY CARTER.
Netflix will air two NFL Christmas Day games, with the Kansas City Chiefs taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers at 1 PM ET, and the Ravens-Texas game at 4:30 PM ET. The games will also air in the local markets of the featured teams and will be streamed on NFL+
Source: Julian Dakdouk / for Parkwood Entertainment
Beyhive, are you excited about Beyoncé on Christmas Day? Sound off in the comments.
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Photo: Getty
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When Queen Bey calls, the BeyHive answers.
While some fans are gearing up to watch Beyoncé headline the Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens halftime show on Netflix next month, others are planning to see the performance in person. VividSeats saw a 40% spike in resale ticket prices following Sunday’s (Nov. 17) surprise announcement, Forbes reports.
The holiday matchup, taking place at Houston’s NRG Stadium, will mark Beyoncé’s first live performance since the release of her Grammy-nominated Cowboy Carter album and a must-watch moment for members of the Hive. For those who want to watch from the stadium, we’ve rounded up the best ways to score tickets.
Keep reading for more information on game day tickets.
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How to Get Beyoncé Tickets
Beyoncé is no stranger to packing stadiums, but the Houston native took a break from live performances after wrapping up the Renaissance Tour last fall, meaning the Ravens vs. Texans game will be the only chance to see her perform live before the year ends.
Game day tickets are available at SeatGeek, Vivid Seats, StubHub, TicketNetwork, GameTime and Ticketmaster. Prices range from approximately $243 at StubHub, $238 at SeatGeek and as low as $219 via Vivid Seats. The most expensive seats can cost you anywhere from $375 to more than $1,900.
If you happen to miss out on tickets to the game, there are a few passes left for the Premium Tailgate Party hosted by Tailgating Hall of Fame. The party starts at 11:30 a.m. local time.
No matter how you watch, whether it’s at home, a watch party or in person, the performance will be a treat for fans. The halftime set will reportedly include “special guests” featured on Cowboy Carter.
Released in March, Beyoncé’s eighth studio album earned 11 Grammy nominations including album of the year and country album of the year. This latest round of Grammy nods brings Beyoncé’s total to 99 – the most nominations of any artist in history.
Texas can barely hold its excitement for Beyoncé‘s newly announced halftime-show performance at this year’s Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens game on Christmas Day — much less the rest of her fans across the world. As revealed late Sunday (Nov. 17) via a cinematic teaser — which showed off the superstar’s impressive football-catching skills — […]
UnitedMasters extended its existing synch agreement with the National Football League (NFL) through the end of the 2027 season. The deal will expand UnitedMasters’ existing track delivery, allowing the NFL to continue providing music to its fans at games and across NFL programming via UnitedMasters’ fully-cleared synch library. Through the deal, NFL Member Clubs will have the opportunity to explore additional licensing packages, allowing them to create “hyper-local experiences,” according to a press release.
Warner Music India made a minority investment in India-based live entertainment and ticketing platform SkillBox, which has worked on tours for Jacob Collier, Steve Vai, Ben Howard and more and established intellectual properties including Bloomverse, K-Wave, Lemonade and LiveBox. “By integrating live events and ticketing into its portfolio, Warner Music India will offer its artists the ability to reach wider audiences, while fans will benefit from streamlined, unforgettable live music experiences,” states a press release. SkillBox, which also boasts an artist management arm called LevelHouse, boasts 1.5 million users.
Music licensing company Soundstripe is partnering with Orfium, Tuned Global, Music Reports and Cyanite to build a “click-to-license” platform for the music business that will offer pre-cleared music, with a full rollout expected for spring 2025. “Through these partnerships, Soundstripe connects several elements of licensing, which have long been separate,” reads a press release. Orfium’s SyncTracker product will ensure that all licensed music has been cleared when a video posts to platforms including YouTube, while Tuned Global will manage content delivery and asset management on the recording side and Music Reports will cover the publishing side. Meanwhile, Cyanite’s AI-driven technology will allow Soundstripe to tag and search music at scale.
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Audacy launched its first FM broadcast station with Super Hi-Fi, a leader in AI-powered radio services for broadcast and digital media companies. From Oct. 31 onward, Denver’s Front Range Country 103.1 will be powered by Super Hi-Fi’s AI-powered platform and toolset, including its program director radio operating system, which manages music curation content, ads, scheduling, voice tracking and station playout tasks.
Streaming service Deezer signed DAX, an advertising exchange from Global, as its exclusive ad sales partner in the U.S. for audio advertising. DAX previously pacted with Deezer in the U.K.
Leading Asian music company Kanjian struck a deal with AI rights management company Musical.AI to provide AI companies with access to its fully licensed music catalog for AI training. According to a press release, Kanjian’s catalog is entirely pre-authorized for AI applications.
Levellr, which helps artists use messaging tools including Discord and Telegram to reach fans, raised $1.75 million in funding from a group of gaming and media industry leaders including Dylan Collins (SuperAwesome, Jolt, Demonware), Mitch Lasky (former Benchmark and Discord board member) and Owen Mahoney (former Nexon CEO), along with senior execs from companies like Krafton, Riot Games and Amazon. The company also announced that Collins will join the company as chairman.
Redeye Worldwide, a leading independent digital and phsyical distribution and music services company (and part of the Exceleration Music family), signed a strategic agreement with Lasgo Worldwide Media to provide physical fulfillmemnt services in the U.K. and Ireland. Additionally, Redeye will consolidate its European Union physical operations through an expanded one-stop agreement with Netherlands-based pan-European provider Bertus, allowing Redeye clients to broaden their sales and marketing reach across Europe. Redeye’s Swedish subsidiary, Border Music, will continue servicing the Nordic markets.
Alt-rock pioneers the Pixies and Tickets For Good, which provides free and heavily discounted tickets to live events, announced a new partnership through which the band will donate tickets to Tickets For Good across the platform’s global network for every date on their upcoming 20-date tour in Europe and North America next year. The partnership includes tour dates that are sold out, giving registered Tickets For Good members an opportunity to gain special access via a dedicated ballot.
Indie music company Anthem Entertainment and Wax Records struck a creative partnership that will focus on “enhancing the relationship between publishing and creative, facilitating a seamless channel for songwriters and artists to produce viable projects,” according to a press release.
AI-powered music and audio technology company Mus.ic.AI is integrating its AI tools into digital asset management and monetization platform SourceAudio. Under the deal, 567,000 active SourceAudio users will be provided with AI-powered stem separation.
Virgin Music Group announced a strategic agreement with Tokyo-based Bushiroad Music, a division of games and anime producer Bushiroad Inc. Through the deal, Virgin will support the expansion of Bushiroad Music’s overseas business through digital music distribution, including theme songs for Bushiroad’s games, anime series and films.
Lil Wayne is getting in the booth. Only this time he’ll be firmly focused on running backs rather than rhymes. The legendary MC and sports fanatic will become a regular weekly guest on the NFL Network’s NFL GameDay Morning show beginning this Sunday (Nov. 17) according to a release from the NFL on Monday (Nov. 11).
Weezy will take his place alongside the rest of the GameDay crew, which includes Rich Eisen, Kurt Warner, Steve Mariucci, Gerald McCoy, Ian Rapoport, Cynthia Frelund, Colleen Wolfe, Mike Garafolo, Tom Pelissero, Daniel Jeremiah and Kyle Brandt, along with various NFL Network reporters including Judy Battista, Bridget Condon, Stacey Dales, Omar Ruiz, Jane Slater, Sara Walsh, Cameron Wolfe and Steve Wyche.
The news broke at halftime during Sunday’s New York Giants/ Carolina Panthers game in Munich, Germany alongside a video of Wayne running onto the field with his beloved Green Bay Packers. Back in 2021, Wayne dropped his official Packers theme song, “Green & Yellow,” on which he raps, “Once a Packer, always a Packer/ Like Shakur, call me ‘two-pack’/ I’m green and yellow.”
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Wayne’s NFL connection dates back nearly two decades to his blog posts for the ESPN the Magazine and a spot in 2009 on the round table of the ESPN daily show, Around the Horn, followed by him offering up his track “No Mercy” in 2016 as the theme song for the sports talk show Skip and Shannon: Undisputed.
In September, Wayne admitted that being snubbed for a headlining spot at next year’s Super Bowl halftime show in his hometown of New Orleans in favor of Kendrick Lamar “broke” him. “That hurt. It hurt a lot. You know what I’m talking about. It hurt a whole lot,” he said at the time. “I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for a letdown. And for automatically mentally putting myself in that position like somebody told me that was my position. So I blame myself for that. But I thought that was nothing better than that spot and that stage and that platform in my city, so it hurt. It hurt a whole lot.”
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce may have been more than 1,700 miles away from each other on Sunday (Oct. 28), but that didn’t stop the singer from paying tribute to her NFL boyfriend during the third and final Eras Tour show in New Orleans. While Swift was wrapping up the penultimate run of Eras U.S. […]
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Watching NFL games may be the main way to show support for your football team, but collecting merch will put your […]
Machine Gun Kelly is slated to take the field for a halftime performance at the final 2024 international NFL game. “I’m really looking forward to performing in Germany for the upcoming NFL game in Munich,” said MGK in a statement about being tapped to perform at the Nov. 10 showdown between the New York Giants […]