Sports fans are lucky enough to live in a time when they can watch almost any game instantaneously on their TV, computer or phone. But it turns out “instantaneous” isn’t as fast as we may think.

There’s a small delay — anywhere from fractions of a second to almost a minute — between when something happens on the field, and when viewers at home are able to see it. On top of this delay, some streaming platforms experience what’s called “audience drift,” which happens when people watching the same content on the same platform, but on different devices, are out of synch. This can account for more than a minute in delay between viewers.

While the delay may seem small, it’s not always insignificant. This can lead to potential spoilers, or worse. In the 2010s there were several instances of “courtsiding” — where people would electronically place bets from a sports venue in the moments before bookkeepers knew what happened.

In order to negate this delay, sports broadcasters, agencies and rights owners will have to revamp the technology behind sports streaming. That’s where companies like Phenix come in.

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