BBC admits own-goal with 20-second lag for streaming viewers that may give game away

WHEN football fans across England settle down to watch the World Cup quarter final today, they may equip themselves with a snack, a cold beer and perhaps a St George’s Cross flag.

To that list, millions may wish to add a pair of earplugs, to avoid hearing the results from their neighbours first.

Those watching the match streamed live over the internet – on mobile phones, tablets or through apps on television – will have to contend with a delay of around 20 seconds, the BBC has said.

Admitting it was one of the “flaws in emerging technology”, the corporation said it was expecting record numbers to tune in to England’s match against Sweden via live-stream.

Neil Hall, from BBC Sport, told The Guardian that despite recent improve- ments, most online streaming services would still suffer a time delay compared with traditional television broadcasts.

“It’s one of the flaws in an emerging technology,” he said. “A number of years ago, people accessing streams online had to be in the office on a PC with a fast broadband connection.

“Now what we tend to see is around 45per cent of stream starts are from people on mobile. While it can be a factor today, it shouldn’t be considered a constraint for the long term.” Fans have already reported hearing the shouts of neighbours before seeing a goal on their own screen, with those watching on mobiles in public lagging behind those watching in pubs nearby.

The lag is particularly problematic during penalty shoot-outs, with shouts of victory and despair potentially ruining the tension for anyone attempting to watch live. The BBC has already received 43.5million requests to watch World Cup 2018 matches on livestream services.

The delay applies to all streaming platforms, and is not specific to the corporation or to World Cup coverage.

Live television audience numbers have also been boosted by the tournament, with a peak of 24.4million viewers watching ITV on Tuesday as England beat Colombia on penalties.

43.5 million Requests to watch World Cup 2018 matches on BBC live-streams