Sports news ( Europe Brief News): Europa League final between Man Utd and Tottenham sparked fan outrage as Discovery Plus viewers reported technical issues and poor coverage during the broadcast.
The buffering throughout the first half of the Manchester United vs. Tottenham Hotspur Europa League final on Discovery Plus angered football fans. As in past years, viewers were able to watch the final for free, but some experienced issues.
“Anyone else experiencing buffering on the Europa final on Discovery Plus,”
one asked.
“Had to make a Discovery plus account to watch the final and the stream drops in quality every 2 minutes,” wrote another on social media.
“This stream on Discovery plus is utterly woeful. What are they using to dial up?”
asked a third. “This game is unwatchable on the discovery plus app. Constant buffering for me,” was the complaint from yet another viewer.
It took some time for the teams to actually see the goal on the field. Spurs, however, put their noses in front just as the halftime whistle was approaching.
It was a scurrying opener. Pape Sarr’s shot from the left was not cleanly touched by Brennan Johnson, but it still hit Luke Shaw and slipped past Andre Onana into the net.
“The game did need a goal,” former Spurs and England goalkeeper Paul Robinson said on BBC Radio 5 Live. “It wasn’t pretty, it was scrappy, but those Tottenham fans won’t mind.”
Speaking on TNT Sports at the break, former Spurs star Gareth Bale said:
“For a Spurs fan it doesn’t matter. I think Spurs have probably been the better team in the first half, pressured them very high, but… it’s important to get that first goal because I feel like the pressure was good but you need something to back that up.”
Fellow pundit and former United defender Rio Ferdinand wasn’t impressed with his old team’s defending.
“It was poor, [Patrick] Dorgu, at no point does he talk to Luke Shaw,” he said.
He added that you always need that help. Maybe it’s inexperience here but he doesn’t let him know. By the time he realises and sees the white shirts flashing, it’s too late and the ball ends up in the back of the net.
He always says the defender furthest away is your talker, he’s your eyes and ears. He has to signal to all the other players – scream, push, whatever – and let them know players are running across them. He didn’t do that and they got punished.
What were the main issues fans had with the Discovery plus coverage?
The match’s live viewing experience was interrupted by buffering, low video quality, and streaming interruptions.
Due to subscription requirements, poor subscription management, or regional restrictions, some fans were frustrated when they couldn’t access the match.
During the event, people who needed assistance with streaming or access issues complained about poor or unresponsive customer service.
Recent major changes to Discovery Plus, such as changes in content availability and interaction with other platforms, have left users perplexed and irritated. Unexpected subscriptions or trouble handling them were reported by a few individuals.
