Why is LIVE TV delayed 45 seconds?

Yes, I believe all live broadcasts (streaming and cable) on the main networks (Fox, NBC, CBS, ABC, etc) have that delay built in by the FFC for profanity. Especially seen during Will Smith at the Oscars?

But, Xfinity cable is 45 seconds longer than the built in FCC delay. 

For current real life comparison, I am currently 2 pitches behind on the Orioles-Rangers game on Fox.

Hello, @primetime897. Thanks for reaching our team on Forums regarding the the broadcast delay. I know the importance of seeing these games, especially during the playoff season. This happens to prevent mistakes or unacceptable content from being broadcasted. While this is super inconvenient, it is not uncommon to have delays. Each device may perform these functions differently. 

Watching the Astros vs Rangers game last night on FS1 and it was 35-45 seconds behind. Restarted the box and nothing changed. Both my tv boxes had the delay. It is for sure a Xfinity issue. 

Every thread I have found has no solution. 

How can Directv using a satellite signal not have the delay but my hardwired Xfinity cable based tv service have it? Doesn't make sense. 

I just added make Xfinity tv because of price. I may have made a mistake.  

I had MSNBC on 1 box and CNN on another watching the House speaker vote. I found MSNBC was 30 seconds behind the 45 seconds delay of CNN

for a total delay of 1:15 on MSNBC.

@user_d224a2​ - the fact that, with DirecTV, it goes to the satellite, then directly to your TV, while with cable (I won't say "with Xfinity" as I am pretty sure all cable systems have this "problem"), it has to go through who knows how many hubs (for example, it has to know what channel number to broadcast it on) first, probably has something to do with it.

I've been with Comcast forever and this has only been getting worse! The Game today was what brought me here today to find out why... Unacceptable is correct! I've had other issues as of late and along with this, I'm about to jump ship. Hope you figure it out... Wish I knew why you left dtv because that's where I was going to go lol I may rethink that decision and look at all my options. 

@user_d224a2 I can understand the frustration, the delays can depend on the network and how you are watching the game. It sounds like our expert technician was thorough in making sure there were no issues with the signals coming to the home. We do appreciate the update.

No reason to not cut the cord if live sports are delayed. Unacceptable Xfinity 

@XfinityBillie​ Delays are on all channels. Not just one network or the other. Delay also happens on movie channels. We tested it out. It is the Xfinity signal that causing the delay. The picture may come through perfect but the signal to the boxes is not. 

@user_d224a2  Thank you for clarifying that this isn't limited to sports channels. Since you have had a technician out I'd like to get a look at the account itself. Please send us a DM to Xfinity Support with your full name and address. 


To send a direct message:
Click "Sign In" if necessary
Click the "Direct Message" icon or  https://forums.xfinity.com/direct-messaging
Click the "New message" (pencil and paper) icon
The "To:" line prompts you to "Type the name of a person". Instead, type "Xfinity Support" there.
As you are typing a drop-down list appears. Select "Xfinity Support" from that list.
An "Xfinity Support" graphic replaces the "To:" line.
Type your message in the text area near the bottom of the window
Press Enter to send it

@user_86psie Good morning! We appreciate you reaching out to our Community Forums Team for assistance. I can see how a delay in live TV would be frustrating, and is designed to have a delay. Are you experiencing this issue as well? I'm happy to take a closer look, and see what the next step would be to getting this issue resolved for you. Before we begin, can you please provide any troubleshooting steps you have already tried? 

I be on the lookout for this charge, because you know it's coming lol

I wish I knew where the grass was greener! 

Thank you so much for reaching out to us here on the community, @user_cxtb5h! I am sorry to hear about the troubles with the delays, are you experiencing it only with Live Sports or is it every show on those channels?

Seems like everybody has the issue that has Xfinity.   I am sure Xfinity knows about it at higher levels and probably does not care about resolving.  Service has gone from bad to worse over the years. Offshore people try to schedule trouble shooting appointments then schedule it as new installation in order to [EDIT: Inflammatory]. 

@schulki2 Hello, I am happy to be of assistance. Can you please send us a DM. You can start by clicking the chat icon located in the top right corner of your forums' page when signed in. Once there, you can direct your messages to "Xfinity Support." Please add your full name and service address to help us locate your account. Let me know if you have any questions. 

Hello user_d224a2! Thanks for reaching out and letting us know you're also experiencing delay issues. I absolutely understand your concerns and my team is here to support you. For troubleshooting purposes, is this only occurring during live sports games or across the board on your end? 

If it's on a broadcast network, it will typically be seen by an antenna user first. There will always be some delay in retransmission as it's channeled through multiplexers that compress and combine multiple channels into one QAM frequency which is in turn sent to your cable box.. Different boxes may have slight differences, too. A true DVR may further delay a second or so due to the internal signal buffer.