BT Sport has been slammed by subscribers after the broadcaster cut from a tense National League play-off semi-final to show the build-up of Manchester United’s trip to West Ham.
Chesterfield’s clash with Bromley took centre stage on the channel on Sunday afternoon as the two clubs battled it out for the chance to reach the Football League. The match was a thriller, too, with Michael Cheek scoring in the 99th minute to send the game to extra-time with the score at 2-2.
Liam Mandeville hit back for Chesterfield in extra-time and they held on to book a place in the play-off final against Notts County, who narrowly missed out on automatic promotion to Wrexham. But the closing stages of that match were missed by viewers on BT Sport, who were instead treated to adverts and the build-up to West Ham vs Man Utd.
Footage of Chesterfield vs Bromley cut out in the 121st minute, switching to adverts before the build-up to Sunday afternoon’s Premier League game kicked in. The decision did not go down well with viewers, who were extremely annoyed to miss the end of the game they were watching.
"What were you thinking switching it to another channel?" asked on fan on Twitter. Another added: "Thanks for showing us the end, though I did enjoy the adverts and watching Man Utd players warming up. What a joke."
Another raged: "What a joke of a channel and how disrespectful…. There is life outside the Premier League….. I'm not a Bromley or Chesterfield fan, but to cut a game for adverts and a pre-match build-up."
"The disrespect to the National League. Chesterfield and Bromley is breathtaking,” one fan wrote. “Cutting coverage with a minute to go without warning on such an important game, so @rioferdy5 et al. can waffle before KO is simply unbelievable!!!!"
Match-winner Mandeville was delighted to earn the win, even if the conclusion of it wasn’t seen by viewers on BT Sport.
“It felt like it was unnecessary for that extra 30 minutes to happen but it did and thankfully it did not go to penalties and we’re off to Wembley so…love it!” he told the Derbyshire Times. “I don’t normally get nervous for games but, I have to admit, I was quite nervous today, probably with the occasion and everything.”
Instead, BT Sport viewers were sent to the London Stadium where Peter Crouch, Joe Cole and Rio Ferdinand were waiting. United lost 1-0 to West Ham as Said Benrahma’s first-half goal proved the difference between the sides.
