Optus avoids repeat of World Cup woes

Optus says that its efforts to re-architect and boost the resilience of its sports streaming service have paid off, with last night’s matches not suffering the widespread buffering and freezing problems that previously dogged the streaming service’s web-cast of the FIFA World Cup.

“Our network performed well during last night’s games and we will continue to work to ensure the best possible viewing experience for our customers,” a spokesperson for the telco told Computerworld.

Optus has previously indicated that content, such as the World Cup and the Premier League, will be increasingly central to its future.

Optus attributed initial problems encountered by viewers trying to stream World Cup matches to the popularity of the event. Earlier this week it said that capacity problems had been compounded when a critical part of one of the two content-distribution networks (CDNs) it was using fell over.

The telco’s chief executive, Allen Lew, has apologised for the problems and Optus has struck a deal with SBS for the broadcaster to show all the remaining matches of the group round.

The matches will also be available from Optus Sports, which the telco is offering free access to until 31 August.

Optus’ spokesperson said that the telco “has continued to see a steady increase in subscription numbers for the Optus Sport platform”.

“Due to commercial sensitivity we are unable to disclose exact numbers,” the spokesperson said.