Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup game played in Yokohama in Japan didn’t throw up too many surprises on the scoreboard – the All Blacks once again defeating the Wallabies 37-20.
However, it was on-field advertising that was the talk of many fans post-match.
The broadcaster created CGI ads in the middle of the field that proved a huge distraction for TV viewers that caused players to blur, pixelate or disappear altogether, while even the ball vanished amongst all the graphics.
Some viewers likened it to watching a dodgy video game rather than a football match.
Japan is set to host the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and it’s believed the ad tech will constitute a huge part of next year’s programming. So, here’s hoping they can iron out the bugs before the tournament starts in September.
So bad was the technology that it got pulled half-way through the first half of Saturday’s match, leaving the game’s two principal sponsors – Canon and AIG – asking for a considerable refund.
And, fans were none too pleased with having the action ruined by misfiring graphics. Check out some of the social media rage below:
