Viewers were left disappointed and confused when the ending of the ESPY Awards was hastily disconnected and replaced with a re-run of Prince Harry collecting his award.
American channel ABC has been blasted by watchers at home who missed the final award.
The show appeared to cut off as the “Best Team” award was to be announced.
Viewers witnessed footage of the moment Prince Harry was about to receive his Pat Tillman Award for Service.
Critics called on the Duke to reject the accolade while thousands of people signed a petition in a bid to stop Harry collecting the award.
The awards were set up in honour of Tillman, a former NFL player who enlisted in the US Army following 9/11 and died in 2004 while serving in the military.
The Duke of Sussex paid tribute to his own mother, Princess Diana, as he praised their “eternal bond”.
He also honoured Pat Tillman’s mother while accepting her son’s namesake award – despite her previous criticism in which she branded the prince a “controversial and divisive individual”.
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Viewers witnessed footage of the moment Prince Harry was about to receive his Pat Tillman Award for Service
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He told the audience: “Her advocacy for Pat’s legacy is deeply personal and one that I respect.”
After a re-run of the Duke of Sussex, the coverage then suddenly stopped and the end credits appeared.
Viewers missed the South Carolina Gamecocks winning Best Team.
Social media users were left frustrated by the error and shared their anger online.
Critics called on the Duke to reject the accolade while thousands of people signed a petition in a bid to stop Harry collecting the award
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One person wrote: “Hey ESPN what happened to the end of the ESPYS on the east coast feed?
“It came back from a commercial with the Rob Lowe segment, jumped to Prince Harry segment, and then the credits ran.”
Another added: “I’m so confused how the ESPYs ended – someone getting fired.”
It is claimed that the coverage was cut short due to ABC “running out of time”.
