Employers Crack Down on World Cup Streaming.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-07-01/employers-crack-down-on-world-cup-streaming.html

Right now, millions of people around the world are sitting at their desks staring at a small window on their screens. The influx in people viewing live-streaming video of the FIFA World Cup isn't great for productivity, and it's even worse for corporate IT departments.

Even in the age of YouTube, a flood of high-def video streams can put a strain on broadband networks. To prevent Internet connections from buckling under the weight of World Cup videos, some employers are telling staff not to stream the games at work and blocking known sports-video sites.

Magazine publisher Time Inc. told employees in New York this morning not to stream the USA vs. Belgium knockout-round game. The company encouraged fans to instead use conference rooms or pantries with TVs showing today's game, according to a memo obtained by Bloomberg.

When the U.S. national soccer team played Germany last week, "the Time Inc. network was severely impacted by users streaming the game to their local workstations," Colin Bodell, Time's chief technology officer, wrote in the e-mail. That game peaked at 1.7 million viewers each on WatchESPN and Univision Digital.

"While we understand that everyone wants to support the national team, please do not stream the game over the internet to your local workstation," Bodell wrote. "Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. Go team USA!"

Judging by tweets from disgruntled employees, the anti-streaming stance at companies is widespread and international. In addition to technical challenges, U.S. businesses may lose hundreds of millions of dollars during the game today due to distracted workers.

Despite the downsides, embracing World Cup mania can be a smart business move. Letting employees watch and chat about the game, in addition to facilitating group viewings, can develop workplace camaraderie.