Optus, you had one job

OPTUS finally got it right with its SOS to SBS, and learned a powerful lesson. If you promise Aussies anything to do with sport, you better deliver, writes Megan Hustwaite.

FINALLY Optus Sport got it right.

Better late than never.

The telco’s World Cup campaign has been a disaster and more diabolical than the hot favourite making a shock early exit from the biggest tournament on the planet.

The start to football’s showpiece event was marred by a live streaming meltdown at the weekend which forced embarrassed Optus boss Allen Lew to pass off the broadcast of six matches to SBS for 48 hours as technicians scrambled to fix playback error and buffering issues in 48 hours.

Late today, Lew confirmed the emergency deal with SBS has been extended, from tonight all matches will be broadcast on the live stream service and SBS until the end of the group change.

Can I get an amen? A smart move after an #epicfail of a few days from Optus. Or is that Floptus?

And that includes the God-awful pre-match show, From Russia With Love, where those who were able to watch quickly discovered Optus Sport’s attempt at humour was as successful as their technology. Think Con the Fruiter.

Optus promised much, but delivered little. (Pic: Luis Ascui/AAP)

Optus has made an age-old mistake, don’t promise what you can’t deliver. But it’s dumb founding how they actually got it oh-so-wrong.

How does this broadcast deal work you ask?

SBS has covered the Cup for the past 32 years and again holds the rights but sub-licensed rights to Optus, who also stream the Premier League, for reportedly $8 million under the FIFA broadcast deal.

Optus would broadcast 64 games and SBS 25 including the Socceroos group fixtures with France, Denmark and Peru.

So basically, SBS now gets to have its cake and eat it too, they sold off the rights and get to show the games anyway. #Winning

The deal was announced publicly back in May plus Optus has had plenty of notice about this little tournament in Russia they call the World Cup which happens every four years.

the kind of action you might have missed had you been attempting to watch it via Optus. (Pic: Robert Cianflone/Getty)

Executive producer and host Richard Bayliss and his production team assembled a brilliant team of on-air talent, led by the superb Mel McLaughin and former Socceroos great Mark Schwarzer and renowned Premier League striker Michael Bridges. But they, like the tonnes of subscribers, have been let down by another division of the business.

Ok enough his enough ! It’s time the government gets involved and get the games back to @SBSSport ! Does anyone care ? Unacceptable

— Robbie Slater (@RobbieSlater17) June 17, 2018

The through-the-roof levels of interest and mass viewers was expected. The surge was always coming.

Shock horror, Aussies want to follow their national soccer team, fans of the round ball game are champing at the bit about lapping up all the matches they possibly can and it’s not just Socceroos fans who have signed up for the World Cup bonanza either.

Punters handing over their hard earned for a premium service simply deserve better. And from a technical point of view, this flop is beyond comprehension in 2018.

It’s a minor miracle Twitter didn’t go down as disgruntled fans teed off, hashtags began to trend and then @ahleach asked Optus Sport to do everyone a favour and secure the exclusive rights to all Carlton games. Bang.

Even the PM Malcolm Turnbull got involved, issuing a statement and offering the most leadership we’ve seen in this whole debacle.

Ex-Socceroos great Robbie Slater summed it up best with his Twitter vent, labelling the streaming issues “a farce” and “an absolute disgrace” using the hashtag #F***buffering.”

But for now, it’s a win for traditional media, turn on the telly and soak up sport, on its biggest stage, the good old way.

It’s SOS SBS.