From Newsweek · Jordan Sigler · · 1m 20s
ESPN pulled a Heidi on Oregon fans
A lightning delay turned a top-10 thriller into a channel-surfing scavenger hunt, and fans were done.
In brief
A lightning delay turned a top-10 thriller into a channel-surfing scavenger hunt, and fans were done. When a rain delay pushes a marquee game off its channel, the network's rigid schedule wins and the viewer loses the ending. Originally reported by Newsweek.
Ninety minutes of lightning
No. 6 Oregon at Oklahoma State was set for noon ET on Saturday. A lightning delay pushed kickoff back about an hour and a half.
Tennis held its slot
ESPN had US Open coverage booked for 4 p.m. ET and kept it. Oregon got shuffled off to ESPN2 and ESPN News instead.
Bumped again in the fourth
With the Ducks and Cowboys still tight late, ESPN2 cut away to its scheduled Pitt vs. UCF kickoff. That was the second demotion of one game.
“ESPN bumping this #6 Oregon vs Oklahoma St game twice is wild.”
Fans hunting for a channel
Viewers on YouTube TV and Disney+ lost the feed mid-game and traded tips on where it had gone. One found it by searching for a disc golf listing.
“Took been looking for the right channel for 20 mins. YouTube TV is a mess.”
The Heidi comparison
Fans reached for the 1968 moment when NBC cut a close NFL game for a movie. Oregon led 31-30 with Oklahoma State driving in the red zone.
“ESPN just pulled a Heidi.”
Rights mean nothing live
Paying for the stream did not guarantee the ending. Fans read the cutaway as proof the bundle serves the schedule, not the game.
“legit demonstration the service is a joke”
The big picture
When a rain delay pushes a marquee game off its channel, the network's rigid schedule wins and the viewer loses the ending.
