Playback & viewers
A viewer can’t play a video or event
Quick answer
The message on their watch page names the reason: sign in, a subscription, a ticket or too many devices. Most “I paid and it won’t play” reports are the device limit.
Check this first
- 1Get the exact message
Ask the viewer what the watch page says, or for a screenshot. Each message has one cause.
- 2Find their account
Go to Studio → Management → Users, search for their email, and read Plan and Expires.
- 3Check the content’s access
On an event, open Access control. On an on-demand title, open the Access card and look at Required plans.
- 4Test as a viewer
Open the page in a private window, signed in with a viewer account that has the same plan.
Likely cause → fix
| Message | Why | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| “Sign in to continue” or “Sign in to watch” | They aren’t signed in and the item isn’t free, or Require sign-in to watch is on | Sign in. The site-wide switch is in Studio → System → Settings → Content → Viewer Access. |
| “Subscription required” | No active plan, or their plan isn’t one of the required plans | Subscribe, or add their plan to the content’s required plans. |
| “Pay-per-event required” | They haven’t bought a ticket for this event | Buy one-time access on the watch page. |
| “Subscription required” with “Subscribe or buy single access” under it | The event takes a plan or a ticket, and they have neither | Subscribe or buy a ticket. |
| “Too many devices” or “Device limit reached” | Their account is signed in on more devices than the plan allows | Sign a device out. See “A viewer sees ‘Too many devices’”. |
| The ticket worked yesterday but not today | A ticket’s access window counts from payment, not from kickoff, and it has run out | They can buy access again on the watch page. Set a longer Access window (hours) when you sell ahead. |
| “Event ended” | The event has retired | The replay appears in your on-demand catalogue once it’s published. |
The full guide
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