2019 Rugby World Cup: Spark 'in denial' about streaming issues, viewers say

Rieko Ioane dots down to score a try. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Disgruntled customers hoping to watch the All Blacks match last night have labelled Spark Sport as arrogant and in denial following glitchy streams.

This morning, Spark reported it had no system-wide issues throughout the match which angered customers who had impacted streams.

Rugby pundits told the Herald they experienced blackouts, buffering and buzzing noises throughout the match.

"Spark must be watching a different service to what we are," Rick Cranswick wrote.

"Last night we had lagging, pictures not matching sound, pictures jumping forward a few seconds, lots of fuzzy picture."

However, Spark said they were not suggesting all customers had a great experience but instead, the streaming platform performed perfectly.

Spark Sport had a rocky start to the tournament. Photo / Supplied

And, the number of customer care calls had significantly declined - up to 80 per cent - in the 11 days between the two All Blacks matches.

"Spark Sport streamed really well, the vast majority of customers should have had a flawless stream experience," spokeswoman Ellie Cross said.

"That said, yes, there were a small minority of customers who had issues.

"But you can clearly see not as many people are getting in contact if you look at the volumes as a whole."

Meanwhile, Spark customer Noel Suckling said his stream was "utterly frustrating" as the screen kept freezing every few seconds.

"I've had fibre installed, hard-wired direct to tele, purchased brand new tele, had technicians out twice to ensure everything's all it can be."

He hoped matches for the Rugby World Cup would be switched over to normal television.

Every time an ad break began, John McCready said his picture froze.

"I have friends with the same problem. We view 95 per cent of our viewing via streaming and only have trouble with Spark Sport," McCready wrote.

"Spark, even if they are in denial, have problems."

All Blacks flanker Shannon Frizell skips clear of the Canadian defence. Photo / Mark Mitchell

However, others jumped to Spark's defence.

"I have an old Samsung tablet I'm using to stream via Google Chromecast dongle," wrote John.

"With the exception of sound and picture mismatch at the start of the Ireland Japan game I have had nothing but excellent service. I have watched every game to date and I couldn't be happier," he said.

"Perhaps those having problems should look at themselves before moaning at the provider."

And rural resident Steve Merritt said following the initial issues he had "nothing but praise" for their service.

"It is crystal clear, never falters. I can see the blade of grass and every divot on the pitch," he wrote.

Kieran Read leads out the All Blacks. Photo / Mark Mitchell

"We have a laptop cabled to the router and HDMI plugged into the TV, that's it. If I try over wireless it's still okay but not as clear.

"So perhaps people need to think about their setup and what else is using the internet at the same time."

Yesterday, Spark Sport confirmed they had been offering additional customer care measures in a bid to tackle ongoing stream issues.

According to a statement, some customers would receive Freeview SmartVU devices and home visits to troubleshoot their streaming complications.

Both measures had proved to be successful and were fixing issues customers had in a lot of cases, Cross said.

"Streaming has complexities, especially with customers who haven't streamed before, we want to help them and that's why additional measures in place."

If customers were continuing to experience issues with their Spark Sport stream, Cross urged they contact the customer care team.