The SBT website was unstable and went offline for periods during the broadcast of the Champions League final between PSG and Arsenal this Saturday. Milhares of fans tried to follow the game through the portal and +SBT, but faced loading difficulties and connection errors.
The final took place at Puskás Arena, at Budapeste, at Hungria. SBT holds the exclusive rights for open TV on Brasil and has prepared extensive coverage with narration by Tiago Leifert.
Falhas techniques start in pre-game
Usuários from different regions of the country reported problems shortly after the start of the pre-game, scheduled for 11am. Páginas were slow to open or displayed error messages. Alguns were able to access streaming for a few minutes before the new drop.
The station’s technical team worked to restore the service. The volume of simultaneous accesses exceeded initial expectations and contributed to instability.
- Torcedores of São Paulo, Rio of Janeiro and Minas Gerais registered the highest number of complaints
- Common Erros included white screen and failure to play video
- Alternativa via the +SBT app also showed slowness on some devices
Transmissão on open TV remains normal
Enquanto the site was facing difficulties, the SBT open TV signal remained stable in most affiliates. Tiago Leifert’s narration, with comments from Mauro Beting, Alexandre Pato and Nadine Bastos, arrived without interruptions for those watching on traditional television.
The broadcaster sent a full team to Budapeste. Repórteres broadcast behind-the-scenes and interviews directly from the venue. The game started at 1pm, with high expectations due to the Brazilians present on both teams.
Volume of accesses explains overhead
Champions League’s decision attracts a large audience. Especialistas in technology point out that traffic spikes are common at events of this size. SBT invested in additional structure for the season, but the number of online users exceeded capacity at certain times.
+SBT, a streaming platform, concentrated part of the public that was unable to tune in to open TV. Mesmo thus, reports of slowdowns spread quickly on social networks.
Medidas to resolve the issue
The broadcaster monitored the system in real time. Técnicos worked to load balance and prioritize video streaming. Aos few, access has improved for some users, although intermittent in some locations.
Torcedores who were unable to access the website used other ways to follow the score and the main moves. The broadcast continued until the end of the match and the awards ceremony.
Histórico Digital Broadcasts
Eventos large sports sports have caused similar overloads on other platforms in the past. The growth in online consumption has increased the challenge for broadcasters offering simultaneous content on multiple channels.
SBT has expanded its digital presence in recent years. Champions League’s coverage represents an important test for the broadcaster’s infrastructure in decisive games.