YouTube TV's stream came back for viewers in time for Croatia and England's extra timeGETTY IMAGES
YouTube TV yesterday "went down" right in the middle of the Croatia-England FIFA World Cup semifinal, according to Jack Morse of MASHABLE. According to the YouTube TV Twitter account, the OTT service was having "streaming issues." Those issues seemed to be "limited to the United States" (MASHABLE.com, 7/11). TECH CRUNCH's Romain Dillet noted the stream came back "just in time for extra time" (TECHCRUNCH.com, 7/11). THE VERGE's Chris Welch noted the service outage marked the "second time in recent months that the app has had problems during a high-profile live event." In May, YouTube TV had a "similar service disruption during the NBA Eastern Conference Finals" (THEVERGE.com, 7/11). DEADLINE.com's Hipes & Hayes noted YouTube TV has made live sports a "cornerstone of its offering, shelling out significant dollars for top-tier marketing partnerships with major sports leagues." For "many pitches of last fall’s World Series and many jump shots during last spring’s NBA playoffs, the red YouTube TV logo was prominently featured" (DEADLINE.com, 7/11).
DREAM TEAM: In N.Y., Andrew Marchand wrote Fox Sports "deservedly took some heat for not having more of its top broadcasting teams in Russia" to call the World Cup. However, a source said that starting in the Round of 16, Fox "flew Derek Rae and Aly Wagner over to Russia to call its games" (N.Y. POST, 7/11). Rae in a special to the Scotland HERALD wrote Wagner has "prepared as thoroughly as any co-commentator" he has teamed up with for a soccer broadcast. Rae: "I've enjoyed listening to her views about the game, on and off air." Wagner's presence in Russia in a "high profile analytical role, serves as an inspiration to millions of young women" across the U.S. (HERALDSCOTLAND.com, 7/7). WORLD SOCCER TALK's Christopher Harris wrote he has nothing against commentators John Strong and Stu Holden, but Rae and Wagner "deserve to be calling the England-Croatia semifinal." The duo of Rae and Wagner have "called every single England game during the World Cup" (WORLDSOCCERTALK.com, 7/9).
