It’s Day 3 of Unrivaled! The league has been delivering exactly what fans hoped for—fast-paced games, star-studded action, and plenty of clutch moments. With WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart at the helm, this new 3-on-3 league is forcing all sports lovers to tune in. But while the games are living up to the hype, some cracks are starting to show. 

First, let’s take a look back. The league tipped off with a bang. Collier’s Lunar Owls staged a fourth-quarter comeback to take down Stewart’s Mist, thanks to two clutch 3-pointers by Skylar Diggins-Smith. Then, Arike Ogunbowale’s Vinyl team picked up a solid win over Angel Reese’s Rose. Fans couldn’t get enough of the opening night.

The momentum continued on Saturday, starting with the Laces absolutely demolishing the Phantom, 86-48. Unfortunately, the early tip-off at 2 p.m. ET seemed to zap some energy from the crowd, and the game was a one-sided affair. But things heated up again when the Lunar Owls returned to face Rose. 

Diggins-Smith nailed her second game-winner in two days, hitting a clutch free throw to secure a 79-70 win. After a day off, the action is back tonight with two more games before the players get a well-deserved week-long break. Today, Game 1 features Vinyl BC vs. Phantom BC at 8:00 PM ET, followed by Laces BC vs. Mist BC at 9:15 PM ET.

While the league’s been a hit, there’s no denying that streaming issues are starting to frustrate fans. But despite the hiccups, people are still tuning in. Even die-hard college football fans are hooked as it’s also the College Football Playoff national championship. 

So basically, it’s a sports fan’s dream right now. Some are happily flipping between Unrivaled and football, while others can’t help but vent about the streaming woes. 

Unrivaled faces Its first fan challenges

Unrivaled basketball is winning the hearts of the fans and even NBA stars like Kevin Durant, but the same can’t be said for its streaming. While the league is streaming on Max and Sling, international fans are left with the only option of streaming on the league’s official YouTube channel due to geographical restrictions. 

The problem is that the late hiccups are making it troublesome. Fans aren’t shy about calling out these issues on social media. One user said, “Unrivaled again late on YouTube.” 

Then, you’ve got the sarcastic crowd, calling out the admins directly. “Unrivaled admin stop being cutesy and get this stream up,” one fan tweeted, obviously annoyed. This fan is questioning whether the admins are taking their job seriously enough to get these issues fixed.

On top of YouTube issues, it seems like things aren’t any better on Max either. “HBO Max unrivaled stream low quality as sh-t man,” another fan commented. You’d think that with such a high-profile platform, the quality would match the fast-paced intensity of 3-on-3 basketball, but it’s not. 

Fans are watching all these thrilling moments in low-quality streams that barely do justice to the action. We get the frustration. But not everyone is complaining. Some fans are totally embracing the chaos of this perfect sports day. “Out at the bar right now with the CFP national championship game on and Unrivaled 🤩 couldn’t be happier,” one fan shared.

They are clearly enjoying the dual experience of both the College Football Playoff National Championship and Unrivaled. For sports fans, this is a dream come true. You’ve got Ohio State chasing its first title since 2014, and Notre Dame trying to end a decades-long championship drought—and you get to watch Unrivaled’s first week’s last-day games.

Another fan was all about balancing both games. “Dual-watching the CFP National Championship and Unrivaled >>,” they posted. It’s clear that fans can’t afford to miss either of these events, and that says a lot about how far women’s sports have come. 

People are invested in both, showing that Unrivaled is breaking through the sports scene, even alongside big stages like college football. So, yes, Unrivaled is right on track, but the streaming issues need to be addressed fast. This is just the first week, but the league can’t afford to lose those viewers. Here’s hoping the tech side catches up to the action because this league deserves to thrive—without the buffering!