Social media on Monday night here in the States flooded with the same simple question: “Why is espn showing golf and not australian open quarterfinals with the #1 playing.”
While the tennis world focuses on Melbourne Park for a loaded Australia Day slate, the real chaos is happening off the court.
Fans are unloading on ESPN as the Australian Open hits the Round of 16 and the network opts to push, of all things, simulated golf instead of actual tennis.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – FEBRUARY 05: A view of the logo during ESPN The Party on February 5, 2016 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Mike Windle/Getty Images for ESPN)
Monday’s schedule is loaded, featuring Jessica Pegula ending Madison Keys’ title defense and a primetime slot for Novak Djokovic.
But despite the star power, American viewers are being shoved behind paywalls on the app and forced into baffling programming choices.
The backlash against the Worldwide Leader has been loud, angry and nonstop on social media.
Frustration reached a boiling point as fans realized key matchups, including world No. 2 Iga Swiatek dismantling Australian hope Maddison Inglis, were being diverted to a premium tier.
One viewer summed up the absurdity:
“I know ESPN kind of owns the top golf PGA thingy, but having sim golf on over the Australian Open is wild + ESPN going to hell for trying to push this random golf shit while the Australian Open going on.”
Viewers no longer know what they’re paying for …
Another viewer vented, “ESPN is about to just make me get cable again….you have to ‘unlock’ the main draw of the Australian Open with that stupid unlimited streaming crap…..so what’s the point of my Disney + with ESPN if I really don’t have ESPN….a freakin scam.”
Social media on Monday night here in the States flooded with the same simple question: “why is espn showing golf and not australian open quarterfinals with the #1 playing.”
As another fan put it,
“And we have an American going up against the #1 player. + They’ve already been torn to shreds but it is absolutely ridiculous that they created a whole new extra payment just to be able to watch top seeded Australian Open matches. ESPN Unlimited can choke and die.”
Between the simulator golf and the aggressive upselling, ESPN has managed to turn a celebratory Australia Day into a PR nightmare.
Once again, ESPN made it clear the cash grab matters more than the match.
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