Amazon have received so much criticism related to their coverage of the US Open that customers are now blocked from reviewing their Amazon Prime streaming service.
The tech giants have received the exclusive rights to broadcast the event in the UK, signing a five year $40 million dollar deal.
It is streamed online on their Amazon Prime service, which requires customers to pay a monthly subscription fee starting at £5.99 depending on the plan they choose.
However the quality of their coverage has been widely panned, so much so that reviewers are no longer able to post comments on the company's website.
According to the Guardian, close to 90% of the reviews gave the service a one or two star rating. They cited the low picture quality and lack of highlights as the main sources of ire.
The reaction on twitter has been equally negative.
Tuned in to amazon prime to watch the US open and they are having so many technical hitches. Basically watching them test microphones, asking for drinks and talking amongst themselves. Terrible! #doyouknowwhatyouaredoing? #USOpen #amazonprime
— Amy Robbins (@ahkrobbins) August 27, 2018
Who at the US Open decided it was a good idea to sell the tv rights to Amazon Prime?
— Danielle C (@Dani1987C) August 27, 2018
26 years ago I subscribed to Sky Sports to see the US Open totally live. A few years ago they started showing it in HD. Now it's only available streamed on Amazon Prime, in SD and with a 50-second delay. How is this progress? #USOpen #Amazon
— Jon Kennaugh (@jonkennaugh) August 27, 2018
Amazon have claimed that the removal of the ability to post reviews is nothing more than a technical glitch, although the timing of such a fault seems suspicious to say the least.
The American company have been trying to expand into sports broadcasting, streaming NFL matches in the US.
It has also struck a deal with the Premier League, which will see them being given the exclusive rights to 20 games starting in the 2019/20 season.
There seems to have been little expense spared in Amazon's US Open coverage. They have their own studio at Flushing Meadows, while also recruiting well-known analysts such as Greg Rusedski, Jim Courier, Mark Petchey, and Annabel Croft.
The technical difficulties experienced during the opening stages of the tournament will be a major disappointment, although one would hope that these teething problems can be rectified in the coming days.
Tennis fans will certainly hope so, as they are stuck with Amazon's coverage of the even until at least 2022.
