If you had to stream the Super Bowl, Paramount+ was the best service to watch the Kansas City Chiefs’ win on Sunday.
Paramount+ saw a 42.73 second delay vs. watching via over-the-air broadcast or cable TV, according to latency data from video streaming software company Phenix. That seems like a lot until you look at YouTube TV’s 55.5-second delay, or nearly a minute.
But the results are a little gray. Cord Cutters News found that using the service’s reduce broadcast delay feature shaved another 15 seconds off the feed, which would’ve brought in under Paramount+. Viewers who used the feature, however, ran the risk of buffering issues if their internet connection experienced a hiccup during the game.
On average, Phenix found that services streaming the Super Bowl had an average lag of more than one minute.
Platforms like NFL+, DIRECTV STREAM, ViX, and CBS’ stream on FuboTV and Hulu+Live TV were delayed more than 60 seconds, according to Phenix.
Jed Corenthal, NFL’s former Director of Marketing and now Phenix’s Chief Marketing Officer said sports fans are growing “increasingly frustrated” with lag times.
“Changes need to be made to bring the ‘live’ to televised sporting events into 2024,” Corenthal said in a statement obtained by Advanced TV.
Phenix CEO Roy Reichbach also commented on the rise in broadcasting delays from previous years.
“For one of the most highly anticipated sporting and cultural moments, and in a world where artificial intelligence is taking reign, there should be no excuse as to why broadcasters aren’t able to stream the game as it is happening on the field in real-time. A solution exists, and the people want it,” Reichbach said in a statement.
YouTube TV first introduced its reduced broadcast lag feature in November, but it only allowed a delay reduction for 48 hours. Now, users can set the special feature as their default.
To set it up on your device, choose the three-dot more menu icon, click Broadcast Delay, and change Default to Decreased.
Please follow us on Facebook and X for more news, tips, and reviews. Need cord cutting tech support? Join our Cord Cutting Tech Support Facebook Group for help.
Image credit: Phenix