Audio Problem on BBC One HD during Boxing Days MOTD

Football fans went into meltdown on Boxing Day evening when a fault resulted in Match of the Day going on-air without sound on BBC One HD.

The fault appeared to primarily affect the version of BBC One HD broadcast to England, although BBC One HD in Scotland reportedly had a shorter-lived audio fault earlier in the programme. Viewers were able to watch the football highlights with sound by switching to BBC One standard definition. Satellite viewers also had the option to switch to other variants of BBC One HD aimed at viewers outside of England.

The Match of the Day team acknowledged the fault on social media, only to be bombarded with hundreds of complaints from viewers. A reason for the fault was not provided, although it is understood to be related to the provision of 5.1. Surround Sound. Audio returned later in the programme using standard stereo. Surround Sound usage had to be suspended from BBC HD channels for a while back in 2014 after glitches.