ZDF surprisingly ended the live broadcast of the 3×3 women’s basketball semifinal between Germany and Canada. The broadcaster has now apologized. World politics took priority.
This is how you scare away your viewers: just 30 seconds before the dramatic end of the Olympic semi-final between the German 3×3 basketball team and Canada, ZDF stopped reporting and showed – advertising. The ZDF “Sportstudio” had abruptly ended the broadcast so that it could first broadcast advertising clips and then the “heute” news on time. The audience reacted indignantly on social media. “You really are crazy” or “What a bottomless impudence from ZDF, you’re still OK, aren’t you??”
When the broadcast was interrupted, the score on the Place de la Concorde was just 15:14 for the German team. Many basketball fans quickly tried to switch to a live stream, but not everyone was able to follow in real time how the German team won 16:15 against the actual favorites from Canada.
ZDF sports director Yorck Polus apologizes for basketball glitch
The broadcaster has now admitted the error: “Due to the explosive global political situation, the ‘heute’ broadcast should be broadcast at the usual time at 7 p.m. if possible,” said ZDF sports director Yorck Polus to the German Press Agency. “But cutting off the broadcast shortly before the end of the semi-final match of the German 3×3 basketball team was a mistake. We regret that viewers in the main program missed the last basket that secured the victory and the entry of the German basketball team.”
That same evening, at 10 p.m., the German team played against Spain and won. ZDF then broadcast the final in full.
Source: Stern
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