Rain Delay Disrupts FOX’s X Factor Broadcast During NLCS Game

A rain delay in the NLCS brought live TV scheduling chaos for FOX tonight. The game was stopped in the bottom of the seventh with two outs and two runners on base. With rain still falling, the network faced a difficult decision about when — or whether — to air that night’s episode of X Factor.

FOX scheduling commentator @maskedscheduler posted that FOX would attempt to air X Factor if the baseball game finished before 9:40 p.m. ET. The tweet also noted that if the game extended past approximately 9:30 p.m., FOX planned to run a repeat of X Factor instead.

Many viewers were reminded of a similar last-fall scheduling conflict, and social media quickly reacted as the game delay made the evening’s line-up uncertain. Fans and critics alike questioned how the network would proceed and whether tonight’s episode would be delayed or postponed.

UPDATE: A FOX weather report indicated the rain was expected to clear out of St. Louis around 9:00 p.m. ET.

UPDATE: X Factor airing now.

Tonight’s X Factor Will Air in Full at 8 p.m. on Tuesday.

Despite the earlier weather update and scheduling guidance, the broadcast sequence became increasingly confusing. After a commercial break at roughly 9:45 p.m., FOX unexpectedly aired a repeat of The Mindy Project. Then, at about 10:05 p.m., the NLCS game resumed live. That sequence left many viewers wondering why an episode of X Factor had been started and then abruptly interrupted.

Viewers and commentators criticized FOX’s handling of the situation. The network aired some of X Factor with little advance notice after a repeat of Ben and Kate, but the episode was cut off mid-broadcast. A brief on-screen scroll later announced that tonight’s episode would air in its entirety at 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Many believed the network should have made that call earlier instead of beginning an episode that was likely to be interrupted by the resumed game.

Competing programming will likely benefit from the disruption. Some comments suggested that rival shows, including The Voice, could attract audience members who were frustrated by the interrupted X Factor broadcast.

International feeds were affected as well. At first, spoilers began to appear from Canada where X Factor continued to air, but shortly thereafter the Canadian feed also switched to an X Factor repeat. That switch happened just before the results for the last two groups were to be revealed, preventing further spoilers for viewers outside the U.S.

The scheduling turmoil prompted strong reactions online. Critics said FOX should have anticipated the delay and either held the episode for Tuesday or clearly communicated the plan to viewers in advance. The stop-start sequence and the mid-evening programming flip left many viewers confused about what was airing and when.

Simon Cowell weighed in on social media, tweeting, “It what’s known as a total f up.”

Tonight’s incident highlights the challenges networks face when live sporting events run long and weather intervenes. Decisions made under tight time pressure can frustrate regular viewers of scheduled programming and complicate the promotional plans for high-profile shows. Many viewers will be watching the Tuesday rescheduled airing to see the full episode, while media analysts will be tracking any ratings effects that result from this disrupted night of television.