TV Answer Man, I was watching the Warriors-Grizzlies playoff game today on Sling TV and it cut off with about five minutes left to play. Do you know what happened? How can that happen to a playoff game?!! Is Sling saying anything about it? — Kenny, Tulsa.
Kenny, you are not alone. Sling TV’s feed of yesterday’s game one of the Golden State Warriors-Memphis Grizzlies Western Conference semifinals suddenly vanished with about five minutes left. The game was broadcast on ABC, which Sling does not carry. But it was also available on ESPN 3, which Sling does carry in its basic Orange package.
After the game one stream stopped, many took to social media sites to express their frustration.
“@Sling why on earth would the warriors/grizzlies game just stop streaming w/ like 5 minutes left?! Streaming the NBA playoffs is literally the only reason I paid for the service….,” tweeted ‘Neil Olsen’ on Twitter.
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“What happened to the Warriors game?! Froze restarted and it was no where to be found. I’m only using this for sports and the amount of times this has happened is just terrible,” added ‘TG.’
@Sling this is unacceptable. It was the middle of the 4th quarter pic.twitter.com/5PyYkq5Dis
— Anthony (@sandmannzzz) May 1, 2022
Sling TV’s Twitter customer service page acknowledged the ‘stream-out’ several minutes after it occurred, but did not offer an explanation for it. The streamer eventually suggested that subscribers leave the Sling TV app or site and log on to the ESPN app where they could use their Sling user name and password to stream the game there. However, some fans noted the game was almost over when they got that message. In addition, subs who were not on social media may have never learned that the game could still be viewed on the ESPN app.
First day trying @Sling to watch the NBA playoffs and they cut the broadcast halfway through the fourth quarter. No clear way to watch the rest of the game…
— Kellen Hoxworth (@kellenhoxworth) May 1, 2022
The technical meltdown was particularly irritating for basketball fans due to the closeness of the game which Golden State eventually won, 117-116. But it was yet another in a series of snafus for live streamers during high-profile events.
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While Sling had a bad day yesterday, other live streaming services have suffered ‘stream-outs’ for the Super Bowl, final episodes, Academy Awards telecasts and a host of other programs. Live streaming, which is still cheaper than cable or satellite, can be easier on the budget, but not always easy on the eyes, especially when it counts the most. The technology is still a work in progress.
Kenny, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
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Looks like they got “Heidi’d”. Funny thing is, the last 5 minutes of an NBA game can take almost 40 minutes to play out.
Thank you TV Answer Man! I was one (thankfully– of many) wondering about the Golden State Game yesterday. I use Sling off and on and keep struggling with the mystery of it all.
Very comforting to know that it was not “operator error” on my part. I was ready to chalk it up to being old guy without a clue. I went to bed last night with that small nagging itch about the glitch and was surprised that I still had it this morning. Your answer popped up early on in my search just now. Now I know where to go for these things.
Keep up your good work!
The stream for Warriors Mavs Game 2 was horrible! I hardly watched the game! This is unacceptable. I don’t watch any TV but just NBA, NHL playoffs! Get your shit together Sling. Why are we paying for this horrible service?