London's High Court is hearing a lawsuit brought by Medier against Mike Tyson and his company Tyrannic. Medier is a Cyprus company behind the online casino and sportsbook brand Rabona. It is claiming around $2M (£1.5M) over a collapsed 2024 ad campaign. The most colorful detail of the case is a livestream where Tyson was supposed to be interviewed by a host dressed as a pigeon.
How it unfolded
- January 2024. Tyson signs a deal to promote Rabona. The fee is about $2M, paid in instalments. Before the split, he reportedly received around $190K.
- March 2024. Tyson's side terminates the deal. According to Reuters, this happened the same day his fight with Jake Paul was announced.
- October 2024. Medier files suit in London.
- October 2026. The case reaches a hearing. There is no ruling yet.
What's the "talking pigeon"
The centerpiece of the campaign was Tyson's appearance at iGB Live in Amsterdam in July 2024. The plan was a stream called "Talking Pigeons", a nod to Tyson's lifelong love of pigeons. According to case reports, the script included:
- a chat with four presenters, one of them in a pigeon costume;
- stories from the boxer's childhood;
- a boxing demonstration on a mannequin resembling Evander Holyfield;
- playing casino games on the Rabona website.
What each side says
Medier argues that Tyson simply lost interest once the $15M Netflix fight with Paul came along. According to the claimant, the boxer feared the Amsterdam appearance would breach the streamer's sponsorship restrictions. Medier's lawyer called the Netflix deal "the elephant in the room."
Tyson's side says the contract only required him to play games on the Rabona site. His lawyer called the pigeon show "of a very different nature." Since it went beyond the contract, declining it was not a breach. The defence also claims Medier broke the agreement first.
What others got wrong
Some Russian-language retellings embellished the story. Here is what doesn't match the sources:
- Medier is not an "American marketing agency." Reuters describes it as a Cyprus company that promotes Rabona.
- The sources say nothing about an "offshore crypto casino." Rabona is described as an online casino and sportsbook.
- There was no shoot day where Tyson "refused to wear a mic and walked out." The deal was terminated in March, months before the Amsterdam event.
- The broadcaster-obligations argument comes from the claimant, not the defence. The defence says something else: the show went beyond the contract.
What it means for the market
- Spell out the format in the contract. The whole dispute is about whether a creative show is part of the star's duties or only playing on the site. Without a script, storyboard or at least a format description in the contract, each side will read it its own way.
- Check for exclusivity. A star's big media deal can rule out work with gambling brands. Check this before signing, not after.
- Pay in stages. Rabona paid in instalments, so only about $190K of the $2M went out before the split. Paying per completed milestone protects the budget if the partnership falls apart.