SBS serves up 700 hours of programs and live streams for World Cup push
SBS will live stream all 64 matches of the upcoming FIFA World Cup across both desktop and mobile devices amid 700 hours of programming planned for the tournament, and has signed up six broadcast partners including Nike, Kia and TAB.com.au.
While expectations are not high for the Soceroos who have drawn a tough group in this year’s tournament in Brazil, SBS sales director Andrew Cook told Mumbrella a decent showing from the Australian team would put a halo on the sport, and drive more participation and viewers for A League next season, adding the unfriendly timezone meaning matches will be shown in the early hours of the morning will not deter fans.
“The A-League has given us a 30-week lead-in to the World Cup this year so we’ve had a strong build up,” Cook told Mumbrella. “It’s the World Cup and there are no easy matches, but it would be unAustralian for people not to back the team to do its best. But given the population of Australia and the number of people born overseas who will support other teams means there will be a lot of interest right through the tournament.
“Since we started broadcasting the World Cup in 1990 most of them have been in places which have difficult timezones for broadcast, but the first Australia match is at 8am on a Saturday, and people will get up to follow their teams. Football fans are used to it.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZlMWKFj31g
SBS has created an app which will be available on mobile and tablet for people to stream matches, while the World Game website will have multi-angle replays and stats from the tournaments. SBS radio will be broadcasting commentary in 13 languages, while there will also be a pop-up radio station SBS PopBrazil.
As well as the matches the network has created an extensive roster of other programming including a World Cup morning show at 7am, a 9.30pm highlights show, comedian Jimeoin hosting The Full Brazilian in primetime at 7.30pm with a live studio audience including clips and sketches, while Sam Pang hosts a two-part comedy documentary around what makes Brazilians cool in A Pang for Brazil, and Fernanda de Paula hosts food and culure series This is Brazil.
The series Once Upon a Time in Punchbowl, delayed from broadcast in January after it was revealed one of the main contributors had been lying about his past, will also air during the tournament.
The six broadcast partners for the tournament are Hyundai, Nike, Kia, TAB.com.au, Samsung and TPG, who will be associated into the entire slate of programming.
Cook added: “The sponsors have been great. We’ve already started working with them around integration in the programming, and we’ll be activating those exclusive sponsorships in different ways through the tournament.”
The tournament kicks off on Friday, June 13 at 6am EST and runs until the final on Monday, July 14 at 5am EST.
Alex Hayes
Do we know if SBS plans on showing matches in HD on its secondary channel or only in SD on its main channel?
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Woopdy doo. Getting desperate to pull out the “un Australian” card against the majority who don’t follow the sport.
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If only they could get Santo, Sam and Ed back from Fox for the cup.
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