PRO14 broadcasters Premier Sports have issued an apology after a number of viewers were unable to watch the opening half hour of the Dragons v Cardiff Blues Boxing Day derby.
Angry subscribers, who pay up to £9.99 a month for the channel, were met with error messages and strange geo-blocking issues when they tuned in online.
Disgruntled fans publicly called out Premier Sports on social media during the opening quarter, with the broadcaster moving to apologise.
The game was also being shown with Welsh language commentary on S4C. The later derby match between Ospreys and Scarlets will only be broadcast live on Premier Sports who show every game of the competition live.
A Premier Sports statement read: "We are aware of an issue with the Premier Player during the Dragons and Cardiff Blues game and geo blocking restrictions. This has now been rectified if viewers can refresh their Premier Player. We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused."
Some viewers complained of issues even after that statement, while others bemoaned previous issues they have head with the Premier Player service.
There were demands for refunds, while Cardiff Blues reminded fans they could watch the game on S4C amid the problems.
Premier Sports has since said it is launching an investigation in a new statement, which you can read here.
The broadcaster took over the PRO14’s broadcasting rights for the 2018/19 campaign on a three-year deal.
Earlier this year they terminated their contract with renowned production company Sunset+Vine, deciding to produce their coverage in-house.
A spokesperson for Premier Sports said: “The team at Sunset+Vine have been brilliant throughout our time working with them, but a decision has been taken to move in a different business direction and we are looking forward to continuing producing and broadcasting the Guinness Pro14.”
