Paramount+ encounters issues during A-League Men's start

The first weekend of the A-League Men's provided some drama, including technical issues by their new broadcaster.

The new era of Australian football with ViacomCBS kicked off with a dicey start when their streaming platform Paramount+ encountered several problems during the opening weekend of broadcasting.

Technical issues arose during the Western United versus Melbourne Victory match which occurred in Geelong on Saturday night. Some subscribers missed the beginning of the match, auditory issues were reported whilst others were faced with low quality visuals.

Viewers were quick to react on social media with some at home described the experience as "unwatchable" and "nauseating". The lack of cameras and replays was also questioned by some.

Similar issues were not reported by viewers in the UK and North America watching the match through the broadcaster ESPN.

Paramount+ Australia has since issued two apologies about the technical issues.

We are experiencing extreme unforeseen technical difficulties during the Western United vs. Melbourne Victory game tonight. We sincerely apologise and are working hard to get this fixed ASAP.
— Paramount+ Australia (@ParamountPlusAU) November 20, 2021

We sincerely apologise for the technical error experienced at the start of the Geelong match, and we are working hard to make sure it does not happen again.
— Paramount+ Australia (@ParamountPlusAU) November 20, 2021

Under the new broadcasting arrangement ViacomCBS broadcasts all A-Leagues matches. Part of the new distribution programming includes three games every Saturday evening. One is free to air on Channel 10 and simulcast on Paramount+ while the other two are streamed on Paramount+.

The Western United versus Melbourne Victory occurred at the same time as the Western Sydney Wanderers versus Sydney FC game leading some to wonder if the new broadcaster encountered resource issues to cover both games simultaneously.

The nascent broadcasting platform may also be at cause, Paramount+ Australia only launched on August 11, 2021. A monthly subscription to the online streaming platform costs $8.99 a month.