'Unprecedented Demand' for US World Cup Game Causes ESPN Streaming Issues

Many who wanted to stream the U.S. vs. Germany World Cup game on Thursday afternoon on WatchESPN’s video-streaming service could not do so at kickoff because of “unprecedented demand” at noon eastern. 

ESPN said “viewership for the first half of the USA-Germany match peaked at more than 1.4 million concurrent viewers,” which is a record. 

The U.S. lost to Germany 1-0, but still advanced to the knockout round. The World Cup has been shattering television and streaming records in the United States and the World. The U.S. vs. Portugal World Cup game on Sunday rivaled the BCS national title game in viewership.