A number of Indian fans hoping to watch the big fight between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor last Sunday were left disappointed after technical issues marred coverage of the event.
Veqta, the digital platform which had the broadcast rights to the event, said “a rapid surge in demand” had caused difficulties on its website and its mobile applications. Users struggled to register while a number of those who did and paid the subscription fee of ₹99 were unable to stream the fight.
Veqta’s Twitter handle was inundated with complaints. “Paid to watch the fight. Wasn’t able to watch a single round. Please refund my money,” wrote Kshitij Agrawal. Mumbai-based comedian Azeem Banatwalla also vented his ire. “Oh wow you thought THE BIGGEST BOXING MATCH OF ALL TIME wouldn’t have unprecedented traffic?”
In a statement, Veqta claimed only a minority of subscribers were affected. “While most of our subscribers were able to enjoy a seamless experience on the service, due to the rapid surge in demand, a small percentage of our subscribers faced difficulties in accessing the service at the time,” it read.
“We will work with them to address their concerns and grievances. Globally major platforms also faced similar issues due to the unprecedented demand and traffic for this fight.”
Veqta did not comment on the matter of refunds.
