NBA fans tuned in to Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat on Wednesday night on YouTube TV experienced a different end to the game than everyone else.
YouTube TV failed during Celtics-Heat Game 1 in the closing minutes, and fans lost their minds
With NFL Sunday Ticket moving to YouTube TV, is this a view into the future?
Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
Thanks to a malfunction with the feed.
Midway through the fourth quarter, with Miami trying to fend off a Boston comeback attempt, fans watching on YouTube TV saw their feed head to a commercial break, never to return. Miami ended up holding on, winning Game 1 by a final score of 123-116, but many fans never saw the finish.
Including our own JP Acosta, our resident Heat fan:
JP was not alone.
The streaming service sent out a general message regarding the issue:
YouTube TV then provided an update on Thursday morning that things were back to normal, hours after the end of Game 1:
Of course, this comes as NFL Sunday Ticket is moving to YouTube TV for the 2023 NFL season. YouTube purchased the rights to the subscription package at the end of 2022, agreeing to pay $2 billion annually on a seven-year deal.
The subscription service had previously been exclusive to DirecTV. And while that was never a flawless system as well, having a malfunction like this on a Wednesday night in May has NFL fans wondering if similar experiences await them in the fall.
Especially given YouTube TV’s pricing structure:
See More:
