DC United fans during last weekend's game against the Revolution saw a "technical difficulties" screen from broadcast partner FloSports for the "bulk of the seven minutes of stoppage time," the "latest in a frustrating series of events for United fans," according to Pablo Maurer of THE ATHLETIC. DC United's partnership with FloSports has been "decidedly underwhelming." Saturday's "broadcast failure was the third time this season that the feed has dropped." When the feed dropped during FloSports' debut broadcast in March, the company "owned that failure and blamed a 'geofencing' issue." But that issue "clearly remains, as some viewers within Flo's viewing area pipe up on Twitter to complain every single time the outlet streams a match." Sources said that Saturday night's issue "did not originate with Flo but rather with CSP Mobile Productions, the company that United has used for the past few years to produce games on-site." The sources added that CSP "did not make the end-time of the event clear enough to a third party that provides a fiber-optic link between CSP and Flo, resulting in the signal being cut while the game was still being played" (THEATHLETIC.com, 5/29). DC United supporters group Barra Brava member Jay Igiel said that technical glitches with FloSports' broadcasts have had a "negative effect on soccer supporters culture" in the city, "starting with the tradition of public viewing parties" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 5/30).
NO LEVEL OF CONCERN: In Virginia, Shane Mettlen notes the CAA recently partnered with FloSports, which will become the conference’s primary media partner this fall, but CAA officials said FloSports' issues with DC United coverage have “little to do with upcoming college sports broadcasts.” CAA Commissioner Joe D'Antonio said, “I am very comfortable that what has occurred in both situation will not have an impact on the CAA’s relationship with FloSports or FloSports’ ability to broadcast CAA games and further CAA content.” Other FloSports’ broadcasts, such as EuroLeague basketball and college softball, have “generally received more positive reviews for stream quality.” That could be “because much of the production responsibility goes to FloSports’ partners.” In CAA’s case, that means that the “quality of future streams will fall largely on the schools themselves" (Harrisonburg DAILY NEWS-RECORD, 5/30).
