MUMBAI: Viacom18 Sports, India media rights holder for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, announced Thursday that its OTT platform JioCinema will live-stream all matches of the global marquee competition for free.
The TV broadcast schedule for the World Cup will include Sports18 – 1 SD & HD.
Viacom18 clinched the deal to broadcast the FIFA World Cup in India last year. While financial terms were not disclosed, SportzPower understands that the price the network paid for the rights is $55 million. Which, by extension, means that costs recovery will be a more than a tall order.
The JioCinema app will be available to download for all telecom services subscribers and across devices including on iOS and Android soon with access to Viacom18 Sports’ portfolio of live and non-live programming including the quadrennial showpiece.
Viacom18 Sports’ 64-match showcase will be headlined by live streaming in 4K, a first for World Cup presentation in India, and multiple language feeds, including English, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, and Bengali on JioCinema without charging any subscription fees.
“Viacom18 Sports’ multi-platform presentation of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will be immersive, personalised and offer viewers exclusive experiences on JioCinema,” said Viacom18 Sports CEO Anil Jayaraj. “We want consumers to have easy access to world-class production across digital and linear platforms (on Sports 18) to match the event’s stature. Our efforts are towards reshaping fan experience and building one of the most-loved media platforms in India.”
“JioCinema is going to be our digital destination for sports, starting with FIFA 2022 in Qatar. We’ll also be moving other sports properties to JioCinema,” Jayraj told Economic Times.
Viacom18 Sports’ tournament presentation includes compelling non-live programming to supplement the live coverage. The network will produce digital-first content offerings focused on World Cup heroes who have etched their names in history books, moments that became memories of a lifetime and celebrate the most passionate fans of the sport and their World Cup stories. The network’s live coverage will feature a roster of prominent international football experts, hosts, and tournament legends that will be announced later.
The 2022 edition of the World Cup will see most matches played in India prime time (18:30, 20:30, 21:30 IST). Group stage prime time matches will include key clashes like France vs Denmark, England vs Iran, Portugal vs Ghana, Brazil vs Switzerland, and Croatia vs Belgium.
For the record. Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd. recently announced a strategic investment from James Murdoch and Uday Shankar-backed Bodhi Tree Systems. While the stakeholding pattern post the investment has not been disclosed, SportzPower is given to understand that it is as under:
Reliance-controlled TV18 – 46%
Bodhi Tree Systems – 42%
Paramount Global (nee Viacom CBS) – 12%
