As the 2022 Championships at Wimbledon hits the midpoint, it is the perfect opportunity for a quick “compare and contrast” between viewer experience between streaming services. In the United States, ESPN has the broadcast rights to Wimbledon coverage this year. The rest is dominated by the Tennis Channel. Each carrier has one thing that they do significantly better than the other. Today I am focusing on a best practice only implemented by ESPN.
The differentiating characteristic for ESPN is viewer ability to pause and resume a streamed match seamlessly across devices. For example, last Thursday evening I watched an on-demand stream of the second round match between Jessica Pegula and Harriet Dart. Over the course of that match, I switched devices several times as I moved around my house. ESPN presented me with a single button “Resume” option each time.
Tennis Channel Plus doesn’t have a “Resume” capability. The absence of that feature has a depressive effect on my on-demand streaming of matches. When I watch a match on Tennis Channel Plus, switching devices forces me to note the run time on the video and then fast forward to that point on the new device.
That is just enough of an inconvenience to induce me to delay watching matches in the first place. That ultimately reduces the amount of time I spend streaming matches offered by the Tennis Channel. If enough tennis enthusiasts experience the same thing, the impact on the Tennis Channel’s viewership is probably significant.
Knowing the total run time of a match can be a “spoiler” for tennis. For example if a best of three set match lasts an hour and 15 minutes, it is probably a two set match. If the first set takes 45 minutes, then the winner is fairly obvious, barring an injury retirement. For that reason, I actively try to avoid seeing the total length of a match when streaming on-demand.
Having to fast forward when switching devices makes it close to impossible to not see the total run time. One way I deal with that, is to simply delay streaming a match that I really want to watch until settled in for a long period of time. I… don’t have a lot of those swatches of time in my normal life rhythm. Alternatively, sometimes I start streaming a match and then abandon it due to the bother with the fast forwarding routine.
The Tennis Channel Plus on-demand service desperately needs to learn from ESPN and implement a cross-device match resumption capability. It will probably significantly help their streaming viewership statistics. Come on, Tennis Channel, make that happen!
Yes!!!!! I agree with you 100%. The spoiler effect, the hassle of noting the time and having to fast forward. Totally agree!
Here in the UK we are spoiled.
BBC have the rights and there are no adverts – except for BBC programmes at appropriate times.
They also have BBC iPlayer which allows ‘streamed’ viewing through the TV channel (red button) or over the internet on any device.
Pausing BBC iPlayer on one device allows for resumption on any other – like your ESPN experience.
One of the biggest differences, I find, though, is that on BBC, the commentators are quiet during play and only make comments when the ball is not in play. Even John McEnroe is able to do this!
Makes the watching experience even more pleasurable!
Forgot to mention the BBC iPlayer service allows viewing of any of the courts in use. Excellent service.