NBC’s broadcast of Super Bowl 52 was interrupted during the first half by a 15 to 20 second blackout, for which the network quickly issued a statement reassuring fans and advertisers.
"We had a brief equipment failure that we quickly resolved. No game action or commercial time were missed,” said NBC.
From NBC Sports spokesperson:
— NBC Sports PR (@NBCSportsPR) February 5, 2018
"We had a brief equipment failure that we quickly resolved. No game action or commercial time were missed."
Despite the mishap, NBC said that Super Bowl 52’s 47.4/70 overnight rating/share ranks ninth among all Super Bowls and is the third best of the 19 Super Bowls NBC has televised.
Over on NBC’s livestream of the big game, technical glitches included the apparent omission of commercials, which many Super Bowl fans count as one of the top reasons for tuning in.
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According to Sports Illustrated, the livestream functioned fairly well during game play but during commercial breaks, viewers of the livestream were presented with placeholder telling them that coverage would continue momentarily.
Meanwhile, livestreaming TV service Hulu experienced technical issues during its presentation of the game, for which it apologized to viewers. The service suggested viewers close and relaunch the Hulu app.
“Apologies for the disruption this evening. While the interruption could not have come at a more important time, we are confident we can prevent this in the future,” said Hulu in a statement.
Apologies for the disruption this evening. While the interruption could not have come at a more important time, we are confident we can prevent this in the future.
— Hulu Support (@hulu_support) February 5, 2018