Turner Makes PPV Golf Match Free After Tech Glitch

Because of a technical bogey, Turner let golf fans watch the Phil Mickelson-Tiger Woods match for free at the last minute.

Mickelson won the $9 million winner-take-all contest in 22 holes, but some viewers who ponied up the $19.99 complained online about others not having to pay.

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The technical glitch made it hard for people who wanted to access the event via the Bleacher Report Live streaming service at the last minute. To ensure that paying customers wouldn’t miss the match, Turner took down the paywall and some people were able to find the match on social media.

The technical issue apparently did not affect those who bought the event through traditional cable and satellite distributors.

“We experienced some technical issues on B/R Live that temporarily impacted user access to The Match,” Turner said in a statement. “We’ve taken a number of steps to resolve the matter, with our main priority being the delivery of content to those that have purchased the PPV event.”

Turner said it would be releasing numbers showing how many people bought the event in a few days.

It was not clear whether people who paid for the event would receive a refund.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.