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SBS to air all remaining FIFA World Cup matches

Failed Optus streaming becomes a broadcasting gift for SBS.

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In what has amounted to a gift for SBS, the broadcaster will now screen all remaining matches in the FIFA World Cup.

Managing Director, Michael Ebeid said: “We’re pleased to be able to simulcast more of the 2018 FIFA World Cup matches with Optus. With 8 million Australians tuning into SBS’s coverage to date, we know how passionate the country is about the world game and are confident fans will continue to engage with the matches as we head towards the end of the competition in Russia.”

The Group Stage concludes this evening with many Round of 16 fixtures already locked in. Night one of the knockout stage will showcase a dominant France facing the troubled Argentinian side and unbeaten Uruguay taking on Ronaldo’s Portugal.

SBS will continue to broadcast daily highlights in FIFA World Cup Today live from Red Square at 5.30pm each match day with analysis from Craig Foster and Lucy Zelić and commentary from Martin Tyler, as well as replays of the SBS Match of the Day each morning at 6.30am.

The move follows the failed streaming offered by Optus.

Optus chief executive Allen Lew said: “Optus is here to push the boundaries of innovation in Australia and deliver choice to customers. We had technical issues with the Optus Sport service over the first weekend of the tournament but we are confident that these issues have now been addressed.

“All of us at Optus will use what we have learned from this experience to place ourselves ahead in the delivery of content to customers via streaming to their mobile devices.”

On top of the estimated $8m it paid for the rights, Optus has offered to refund the $14.99 fee to subscribers.

Group Stage – previously announced

Thursday 28 June
Senegal v Colombia Live from 11pm* (kick-off 12am*) SBS
Japan v Poland Live from 11.30pm* (kick-off 12am*) SBS VICELAND

Friday 29 June
England v Belgium Live from 3am* (kick-off 4am*) SBS Replay 6.30am Sat
Panama v Tunisia Live from 3.30am* (kick-off 4am*) SBS VICELAND

Round Of 16
Saturday 30 June
France v Argentina Live from 11pm* (kick-off 12am*) SBS Replay 6.30am Sun

Sunday 1 July
Uruguay v Portugal Live from 3am* (kick-off 4am*) SBS
Spain v Russia Live from 11pm* (kick-off 12am*) SBS Replay 6.30am Mon

Monday 2 July
Croatia v Denmark Live from 3am* (kick-off 4am*) SBS
Brazil v Mexico Live from 11pm* (kick-off 12am*) SBS

Tuesday 3 July Replay TBC

TBA (1G) v TBA (2H) Live from 3am* (kick-off 4am*) SBS
Sweden v Switzerland Live from 11pm* (kick-off 12am*) SBS

Wednesday 4 July Replay TBC
TBA (1H) v TBA (2G) Live from 3am* (kick-off 4am*) SBS

Quarter Finals
FRIDAY 6 JULY
TBA v TBA Live from 11pm* (kick-off 12am*) SBS

Saturday 7 July Replay TBC
TBA v TBA Live from 3am* (kick-off 4am*) SBS
TBA v TBA Live from 11pm* (kick-off 12am*) SBS

Sunday 8 July Replay TBC
TBA v TBA Live from 3am* (kick-off 4am*) SBS

Semi Finals
Wednesday 11 July
TBA v TBA Live from 3am* (kick-off 4am*) SBS Replay 6.30am Thu

Thursday 12 July
TBA v TBA Live from 3am* (kick-off 4am*) SBS Replay 6.30am Fri

Third Place Playoff
Saturday 14 July
TBA v TBA Live from 11pm* (kick-off 12am*) SBS Replay 6.30am Sun

Final
Sunday 15 July
TBA v TBA Live from 11pm* (kick-off 1am*) SBS Replay 6.30am Mon

*All times are in AEST.

9 Responses

  1. On this occasion, David I would have to disagree with your assumption Optus’ streaming service was a failure. To say ‘failure’, to me implies: most of the time, for most of the people. I agree at some point, Optus struggled, but I found it was one day. Every day before and since there hasn’t been any buffering issues.

    I think it has also been how the signal was viewed. I think more people found issues because they were viewing the signal via a mobile phone app, rather than via a GEN2 or Might. I’m not sure about the Mini.

    Finally, I hope this doesn’t hinder Optus from trying to show sport exclusively via streaming, as that seems to be a part of the future of other countries. It would be sad if only one streaming service, and FTA networks, offered sport in Australia. A monopoly I thought had been left behind.

  2. The way it should have been – all on SBS. Enjoying leaving soccer on the 2nd TV late at night, even more fun when there’s two games at once and trying to pick which one will be more interesting. Doing horribly in footy tops though for soccer. Germany – who would have thought!

    1. That’s a fair comment, not everyone likes sports. I get that.

      However if you have an internet connection, SBS On Demand is free, has more content than SBS broadcasts on their 4 TV channels, and unlike Optus’s effort should work well on almost any internet connection.

  5. Optus doesn’t have any choice about offering a refund. They are not just refunding everyone who paid when it wasn’t working, and have then given access to people who didn’t pay on both SBS and their app, way to look after their customers. They will also have marketing and other expenses in setting it all up. SBS is laughing — they sold the rights and then got to air the games anyway (though their could have been some revenue sharing deal done).

    1. Optus has offered a free Fetch set top box (while stocks last) to World Cup subscribers as compensation. This is a tech fail for the no 2 ISP in Australia and the irony of the SBS getting the full list of FTA matches back will linger for a while, so I would expect an Optus PR campaign happening with some good deals coming for all their products.

      1. They do have discounts around July of each year anyway, but this year they have another 3 things on the horizon:
        1) Telstra’s new plans (with no excess data charges)
        2) The world cup fail, and needing to appease those customers who might leave
        3) TPG coming later this year

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