Paramount Plus Wins the 'Latency Bowl,' Experiences Only a 42.73-Second Lag Behind the Big Game

Super Bowl LVIII
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Paramount Plus delivered the least lag time between the what was happening on the field Sunday in Las Vegas during Super Bowl LVIII and what streamers actually saw on their screen, with latency averaging 42.73 seconds, according to research company Phenix, which annually tracks streaming performance for the big game. 

Fubo TV, which was working off CBS' exclusive live feed of the game, registered the worst score, averaging 86.75 seconds. 

(Image credit: Phenix)

Notably, every streamer that also presented the game last year saw an increase in lag time. Here's how last year's performances stacked up. 

(Image credit: Phenix)

“This is the fifth year we’ve conducted our Super Bowl latency study, and unfortunately nothing has changed -- the industry has yet to catch up with consumer demand to provide a real-time experience," said Roy Reichbach, CEO of Phenix, in a statement. 

Phenix didn't go into specifics as to why scores deteriorated this year. The company did say that broadcast delays were worse Sunday relative to other recent Super Bowls. 

"For today’s consumers, live sporting events are riddled with spoilers, especially as we continue to see this new ‘scroll and watch’ habit, getting notifications straight to our phones via apps and social media," Reichbach added. "For one of the most highly anticipated sporting and cultural moments, and in a world where artificial intelligence is taking reign, there should be no excuse as to why broadcasters aren’t able to stream the game as it is happening on the field in real-time. A solution exists, and the people want it.” -  

Daniel Frankel

Daniel Frankel is the managing editor of Next TV, an internet publishing vertical focused on the business of video streaming. A Los Angeles-based writer and editor who has covered the media and technology industries for more than two decades, Daniel has worked on staff for publications including E! Online, Electronic Media, Mediaweek, Variety, paidContent and GigaOm. You can start living a healthier life with greater wealth and prosperity by following Daniel on Twitter today!