Sign up for our daily newsletter
Latest news, reviews, analysis and opinion, plus unmissable deals for bunkered subscriptions, events, and our commercial partners.
Last month, ELEVEN SPORTS promised to deliver “innovative ways of delivering leading sports action” when it was announced it was getting the exclusive, live UK & Ireland broadcast rights for the US PGA Championship.
Well, we’ve got to hand it to them: showing no golf is certainly innovative.
Coverage of today’s first round at Bellerive, which was scheduled to begin at 1.30pm on the ELEVEN SPORTS website, got off to the worst possible start.
Footage of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy hitting shots on the range was silent apart from the occasional bit of what sounded like high-pitched microphone feedback.
• Spieth admits pressure got to him at last year’s US PGA
• The facts, figures and stats you NEED to know ahead of the US PGA Championship
• Oh dear! Open winnings paid to the WRONG Tommy Fleetwood!
That continued until approximately 1.50pm, when coverage cut to footage of the announcers getting prepared in their booth, checking their phones and seemingly oblivious to the fact that they were live on-air.
Around four minutes later, the feed was pulled abruptly and replaced with a loop of adverts, which ran for 20 minutes until coverage finally got underway… 40 minutes after featured group footage was scheduled to have begun.
Needless to say, those who have signed up to view the final men’s major championship of the season via the “global sports provider” were largely unimpressed…
@ElevenSports_UK the golf worked for about 2 mins and is gone now!
— Peter Collins (@pncollins) August 9, 2018
@ElevenSports_UK says golf coverage starts at 1.30pm but currently just watching the same ads on repeat??? Any reason?
— Paul Barry (@paulbarry07) August 9, 2018
@ElevenSports_UK this is an absolute joke. Golf coverage from 1.30 and I’m watching rolling adverts
— Sam Cohen (@SCohen0) August 9, 2018
Wassssssssssssssssup!!!!! @ElevenSports_UK
— Richard Jones (@rij2707) August 9, 2018
Before the golf streaming dropped off that's the extent of the commentary I managed to hear before the high pitched beep made me turn it off. #notagoodstart
@ElevenSports_UK not the best start. All I am getting is rolling ads. Are we doing something wrong?
— Jorge (@jp2putts) August 9, 2018
@ElevenSports_UK Why has the Golf not started? Thought it was meant to be 1.30pm?
— Roger Westwood (@RogerWestwood) August 9, 2018
@ElevenSports_UK I’m trying to watch the featured groups for PGA but I’m only getting a stream of adverts - I thought the featured groups coverage started at 1:30?
— Cian (@cianmnugent) August 9, 2018
Credit where it’s due, ELEVEN SPORTS stepped up and quickly apologised for the issues.
Our sincerest apologies for the issues we are encountering with the feed from the US. We are working to resolve them as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.
— ELEVEN Football (@ElevenSportsFB) August 9, 2018
ELEVEN SPORTS is streaming all four rounds of the championship live
and free of charge (through a seven-day trial) through its website,
www.elevensports.uk, as well as on iOS and Android mobile and tablet
apps.
The opening two rounds are also being streamed free on social media through the ELEVEN SPORTS UK Facebook page.
The US PGA Championship marks ELEVEN SPORT’S UK launch. The company
has also secured exclusive rights for La Liga and Serie A football.
Are you watching the US PGA Championship on ELEVEN SPORTS?
Let us know what you’ve made of the coverage so far and the platform you’re viewing it on? Or perhaps you’re not watching it – if so, tell us why. Leave your opinions and thoughts in our Comments section below.
ALL ABOUT THE MASTERS
More Reads
The bunkered Golf Course Guide - Scotland
Now, with bunkered, you can discover the golf courses Scotland has to offer. Trust us, you will not be disappointed.
Find Courses