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.”