Bottom line: Over-the-top streaming services have gotten exponentially better since their inception but ill-timed disruptions during major broadcasts like the World Cup highlight the fact that they're still not quite on par with traditional delivery methods in terms of reliability.
YouTube TV is offering subscribers a free week of service after an untimely service outage that struck during a pivotal World Cup match.
Google’s over-the-top streaming television service went down on July 11 during the match-up between Croatia and England. YouTube jumped right on the matter and had the issue ironed out within a matter of hours but that didn’t provide much solace to diehard soccer fans that had tuned in – or specifically signed up for the service – to watch the big game.
In an e-mail dispatched to customers on Thursday, YouTube again apologized for the disruption and offered subscribers a free week of service. At the current rate of $40 per month, that amounts to a $10 credit.
Hey everyone -- sincere apologies for streaming issues with YouTube TV. The timing is horrible but we're working to be up and running again ASAP!
— YouTube TV (@YouTubeTV) July 11, 2018
YouTube experienced a similar outage during the NBA Eastern Conference Finals back in May.
YouTube TV launched in April 2017 as Google’s entry into the over-the-top streaming market. The service debuted at $35 per month with nearly 40 channels on tap but this past March, Google added more channels to the mix and tacked on an additional $5 per month.
YouTube added in its e-mail correspondence that DVR recordings scheduled for the game between Croatia and England should now be available in users’ libraries.
The World Cup will be decided on July 15 when Croatia takes on France in the final.
https://www.techspot.com/news/75503-youtube-tv-makes-up-world-cup-downtime-free.html
