:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65515596/EHWItdPWoAAq_9K.0.jpg)
The nine-year wait for a playoff win finally ended on Sunday for the Philadelphia Union, but as they were mounting a thrilling comeback to beat the New York Red Bulls 4-3 in extra time, Comcast subscribers in the area were getting a multi-colored test pattern on their TVs.
The Union game was broadcast on FS1, which led to some fans pointing the finger at Fox Sports and even the Philadelphia Union for the outage, which didn’t impact Verizon FIOS users in the region.
Also, let me just say. Fuck @Comcast for completely dropping the ball today with the FS1 feed just not working for nearly the entirety of the Union game today. Feed was not working at a friends house, not at my own....and was trending on Twitter....
— Chris Lawrence (@claw1400) October 20, 2019
@Xfinity @comcast Absolute disgrace what is happening (actually, what ISN’T happening) with your failure to broadcast the MLS Philadelphia Union vs New York Red Bull’s game today on FS1. You should be ashamed.
— M2 (@MatthewRude) October 20, 2019
Union supporters going crazy online. Apparently Philly Comcast FS1 subscribers have been having tech issues all game and it's now been completely offline since the 78th minute.
— Patrick Shields (@ClearWindowNYC) October 20, 2019
@FS1 Union vs Red Bull’s about to go to AET... really? pic.twitter.com/shDWMhWhfe
— Jeffrey Slonis (@slonisjeff) October 20, 2019
Union game is wild. Just wish FS1 broadcast didn't cut out every 10 seconds
— Colin (@Colynch_) October 20, 2019
Still cannot see the Union game. Fs1 and/or Comcast is straight garbage. #doop #PhillyOrNothing
— Kim Foerst (@kimfoerst) October 20, 2019
@FS1 @Xfinity Thanks for the awesome coverage of the Union vs Red Bull game. I’ve been able to watch at least 5 minutes.
— Brian Stoltzfus (@BrianStoltzfus) October 20, 2019
Just tried to watch the Union game and this is the screen I see @FS1 pic.twitter.com/ljfcCvz1M0
— Doyle (@PatchesD5) October 20, 2019
The Union acknowledged the outage and recommended fans change the channel to FOX Deportes, which only angered some viewers even more.
Screw you Philly Union you need a subscription to watch it on @FoxDeportes. This is Ridiculous.
— Dominator (@Queen_Rocks25) October 20, 2019
In a report for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Rob Tornoe cited a source from Fox Sports that said “it appeared the outages were caused by localized Comcast maintenance in the Freedom, Pa. area.”
Sunday’s game was just the second national broadcast of a Union game in 2019. Their only regular season national broadcast aired on FS1 on August 4 when they visited the nation’s capital and blew out D.C. United 5-1 in a game where captain Alejandro Bedoya grabbed a live field mic and called on Congress to “do something now” about gun violence.
UPDATE: The Philadelphia Union will be streaming the game in full on their website tonight, October 21, at 6 p.m.