World Cup Semifinal Broadcast Faces Streaming Interruptions for Some Israeli Viewers

During the World Cup semifinal match between England and Argentina, many Israeli viewers experienced frequent streaming interruptions on FreeTV, Kan 11, and Kan BOX platforms. These disruptions led to numerous calls to internet service providers' customer support centers. Kan representatives stated that no widespread issues occurred on Kan BOX itself, attributing the problems to certain internet providers. Conversely, some ISPs claimed the fault lay with Kan BOX's supplier, the Polish company Redge, which also supplies FreeTV. This conflicting blame raised concerns about potential disruptions during the upcoming final.

Some ISPs, including Cellcom, HOT, and yes, reported no complaints, although some yes customers watching Kan 11 through yes did report freezing issues. One yes customer who switched from Kan 11 on yes to FreeTV still encountered streaming problems, while other yes channels remained unaffected. Viewers reported mixed experiences, with some finding smoother streaming on Kan BOX and Kan Arabic channels, while others resorted to watching on mobile devices due to frustration.

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation (Kan) emphasized that Kan BOX's app showed no widespread faults and operated normally throughout the tournament, including during peak traffic at the semifinal. They suggested that isolated issues likely stemmed from network or device problems and invited affected viewers to contact them for assistance. Kan also acknowledged unprecedented network traffic during the tournament's peak matches, which caused localized congestion among some infrastructure and cellular providers.

Yes stated their checks showed normal broadcast operation and offered to investigate individual cases with customer details. FreeTV did not provide a response regarding the disruptions. The situation highlights the challenges of streaming high-demand live sports events amid heavy internet traffic and raises concerns about maintaining stable broadcasts for the World Cup final.