According to broadband comparison site Top 10 Broadband, England football fans should check their broadband connection before splashing out to watch tomorrow's World Cup qualifier against the Ukraine, as slow connections could make the match unwatchable.
Following the collapse of Setanta, which originally purchased the rights to the game, it was revealed this week that the match will be broadcast online by Perform, which streams more than 15,000 sporting events a year.
Web users signing up before Wednesday this week were charged just £4.99 to watch the qualifier. This rose to £9.99 for those that sign up today, while web users waiting till tomorrow, the day of the match, to sign up will be charged £11.99.
However, broadband comparison website Top 10 Broadband says watching continuous video online requires a connection of at least 2Mb. However, many don't have access to an internet connection of this speed.
According to Top 10 Broadband, homes with slow connections may suffer interruptions and poor picture quality.
The broadband comparison website also revealed it has seen a 30 percent surge in the sales of broadband packages of 8Mb and above in the last three weeks, with demand spiking after it was revealed England's qualifier would not be broadcast on TV, indicating that sports fans will go to any lengths to see key games.
"Clearly England fans don't care if they watch online or on TV, so long as they are sure to see the game," said Alex Buttle, marketing director at Top 10 Broadband.
"The surge in fast broadband sales shows that football fans are waking up to the fact that the days of guaranteed coverage of centerpiece sports events are no more. A good broadband connection has become as essential to fans as a replica shirt or a fridge of cold beer."
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Comments received
kai said on Sat, 10 Oct 2009
Oh dear...heartbreaking news... ;)
Jonah said on Sun, 11 Oct 2009
No idea why anyone would pay for this.
It was available for free! :D
(If you knew how)
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