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BBC Apologises After Power Fault Cuts Snooker Semi-Final Broadcast

The incident highlighted how streaming services can recover faster than a TV channel.

Overview

  • BBC coverage of the World Snooker Championship semi-final from the Crucible cut out due to a venue power issue, with some viewers briefly switched to the wildlife programme Britain's Wild Isles.
  • The broadcast was off air for about 12 minutes, and the feed returned sooner on BBC iPlayer and TNT than on BBC Two.
  • Presenter Hazel Irvine apologised on air and said an unexpected power problem caused the disruption.
  • During the outage, Mark Allen won the third frame to make it 2-1 and later compiled a 76 in the fourth to level the match.
  • Commentators at the venue said screens went blank and cameras stopped, underscoring that the fault affected production equipment as the match carried on.