Technical difficulties lead to refund offers for Mickelson-Woods pay-per-view match

B/R Live is among the broadcast providers offering a refund to those who experienced technical difficulties during the Phil Mickelson-Tiger Woods pay-per-view match in Las Vegas.

B/R Live said Saturday that it would offer refunds. Charter Spectrum, Cox Communications, Dish/Sling TV and AT&T — via its DirecTV and U-Verse platforms — also announced refunds.

Technical difficulties marred the event, which was billed as golf’s first pay-per-view broadcast.

Some viewers were unable to view it on their televisions after paying $19.95. Turner and Bleacher Report representatives sent out links on social media allowing people to view it for free on their computers and mobile devices.

There were more than 500 people on hold online waiting for assistance during one point.

Turner Sports said in an emailed statement:

“Prior to the start of the event, we experienced a technical issue with the B/R Live paywall that we tried to quickly resolve. We decided to take down the paywall to ensure that fans who already purchased the event would not miss any action. This did not impact the live streaming of the competition and fans were treated to an event that was both engaging and memorable. Unfortunately, the pre-match technical issue did occur, and we will offer fans who purchased the event on B/R Live a refund.”

Mickelson won the match Friday over Woods on the fourth playoff hole to win $9 million.