Coverage of the Phil Mickelson-Tiger Woods pay-per-view match in Las Vegas last Friday was beset by technical difficulties, leading to Turner Sports and a host of carriers offering refunds to viewers.
Many customers were unable to watch ‘The Match’ – which was won by Mickelson on the fourth play-off hole – on their televisions after paying $19.99, leading to Turner’s B/R Live platform allowing fans to view it for free on computers and mobile devices.
There were over 500 people on hold online waiting for assistance during one point, according to the Associated Press.
On Saturday night, Turner offered a refund to viewers who paid to stream the match, as did Comcast, Charter Spectrum, Cox Communications, Dish/Sling TV and AT&T.
Turner said in a statement: “Prior to the start of the event, we experienced a technical issue with the B/R Live paywall page that we tried to quickly resolve. We decided to take down the paywall to ensure that fans who already purchased the event would not miss any action.
“This did not impact the live streaming of the competition and fans were treated to an event that was both engaging and memorable. Unfortunately, the prematch technical issue did occur, and we will offer fans who purchased the event on B/R Live a refund.”