DStv Stream recorded more than 900,000 concurrent viewers during Bafana Bafana\u2019s FIFA World Cup 2026 opener against Mexico on Thursday, the pay-TV broadcaster said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The broadcaster said the match set a new live-sport streaming record for its platform, nearly doubling its previous peak of close to 500,000 viewers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That previous high was recorded during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 final, making Thursday\u2019s audience a significant jump for DStv\u2019s streaming service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The SABC, South Africa\u2019s public broadcaster, also reported record-setting streaming viewership during the 2026 World Cup\u2019s opening match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Its streaming service, SABC+, suffered an outage, which was partly caused by a last-minute update to its platform and apps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA content encryption update had to be implemented on the SABC+ platform, which is a standard part of broadcasting major international sporting events,\u201d the SABC said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis update required a reset of the platform\u2019s functionalities, meaning some users needed to log in again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This resulted in a high volume of users attempting to log in and verify access simultaneously shortly before kick-off, which the SABC said placed unprecedented strain on the system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis resulted in system instability and a second reset before the platform was stabilised,\u201d the state-owned company said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe scale of demand last night was unprecedented. SABC+ recorded a peak concurrency of 477,000 simultaneous users, nearly three times its previous record.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thursday\u2019s match was also record-setting for being the World Cup opener with the most red cards in history. South Africa received two red cards, and Mexico one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The match marked South Africa\u2019s first World Cup appearance in 16 years and repeated the 2010 opening fixture between Bafana Bafana and Mexico.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That 2010 match in Johannesburg produced Siphiwe Tshabalala\u2019s well-known opening goal. South Africa was the first African country to host a World Cup, and as the host nation, did not have to qualify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DStv said its streaming figures reflected strong demand for football across Africa, with a record ten African nations competing at the 2026 tournament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was because FIFA had expanded the format to include 48 nations, up from the traditional 32-team format. It is also the first World Cup to be hosted across 3 countries: Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DStv added that making all 104 World Cup matches available on DStv Access, its cheapest package outside the basic EasyView service, was helping the tournament reach a broader audience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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