NBC Sports and Peacock received the ratio on Thursday as its coverage of Liverpool vs. Newcastle United on the subscription-based service, despite saying contrary on the menu, didn't start at all as planned with users getting a multitude of different errors before taking to Twitter.
+1 for coverage not working. Shows me the “starting shortly” screen for five seconds and then kicks me back to main menu.
— Timmy Que (@Timmy_Que) December 16, 2021
why is it that I'm presented with "coverage to begin shortly" when the app states this match is live and started 5 minutes ago? this is a repeat headache
— tacopasta (@rosams27) December 16, 2021
At least I'm a Liverpool fan. Imagine a fan of Burnley or a team like that who has to rely on Peacock for more of their favorite club's matches than I do.
— sylviefisher87 (@sylviefisher87) December 16, 2021
We made a deal where I pay you and you deliver me content. How it's going: pic.twitter.com/5Z8gzR16is
— Drew Clausen (@dmclausen) December 16, 2021
You owe me $5.99 for this
— (@engineofhistory) December 16, 2021
Good thing @peacockTV isn’t the worst app ever. Oh wait
— LFC (@MakeUsDream3) December 16, 2021
whenever youre ready
— scott g sewall (@elscooter) December 16, 2021
The only reason I pay for peacock is to watch Liverpool so please explain to me why the stream is broken for literally everybody?!
— Cameron W (@Conscious_Cam) December 16, 2021
Peacock does it again. The worst to ever do it.
— Ryne Fisher (@RedRyneFisher) December 16, 2021
Simply the worst football viewing experience @peacockTV. No pre-match coverage, constant stream failure. Subscribe only for EPL and you can’t get it right!
— Daniel Pearson (@itsdanpearson) December 16, 2021
Tweets about it being fixed weren't as popular.
Finally working. Thanks for fixing it
— Christopher Neelley (@camneelley) December 16, 2021
When the broadcast did actually start in the eighth minute, everyone's incredulity was doubled by the first image received across America: Newcastle's Jonjo Shelvey running back to his own half, arm outstretched in celebration, with the scoreboard reading 1-0 in favor of the Premier League's 19th-place team.
From the inability to show the game to Shelvey's ridiculous finish, none of this made any sense.
Order was shortly restored as Liverpool overturned the deficit by the 25th-minute.
Newcastle players were angry with the first, believing that Mike Dean should've stopped play for a potential head injury to Isaac Hayden, but it was a coming together between two Newcastle players off a corner kick, Liverpool was still in a threatening position and Hayden was ultimately fine.
The second arrived four minutes later after Shelvey's back-pass was seized on by Sadio Mané before a finish from Mohamed Salah.
Trent Alexander-Arnold added a third in the 87th-minute with a howitzer that whistled past Martin Dúbravka. Bang. (Pay extra attention to the brilliant run from Mike Dean.)
TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD OH MY
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 16, 2021
As a Newcastle fan, I can safely say that I really preferred the nonworking version of Peacock's broadcast today.
