The 2022 FIFA World Cup is set to make history in more ways than one. First and foremost, it will be the first FIFA World Cup to be played in the winter months. Secondly, FIFA surprised the football world by awarding the tournament to the Qataris, making this the first World Cup to be hosted in the Middle East. With so much intrigue about a Middle East based winter World Cup, it’s no surprise many are already planning how to catch a glimpse of the action. Those who bet on international soccer will also be aware that many leading sportsbooks already offer live streams of domestic and continental competitions. The likes of LeoVegas, who give new users a welcome bonus that doubles their original deposit, stream games to funded account holders, and it’s likely to be no different in Qatar.
Below, we’ll explore how soccer fans around the world will be able to tune in to every kick of every game at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
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UK terrestrial television
British soccer fans will more than likely be able to watch every game on terrestrial television, without the need for a satellite network subscription. Historically, the BBC and ITV have shared broadcast rights for the FIFA World Cup, and this year’s tournament is no exception.
The FIFA World Cup is part of an exclusive club of live sporting events protected by Ofcom regulations, which insist live coverage must be made available on free-to-air channels for British viewers. Group games are scheduled to kick off at 10 am ,1 pm, 4 pm and, 7 pm UK time.
US networks
In the US, there looks set to be broadcasts in both English and Spanish. FOX Sports will be broadcasting the English-speaking shows, while Telemundo will be broadcasting the Spanish-speaking programs. All of the US’s group stage matches will kick-off at 2pm ET, which should be of some relief to fans expecting a very early start to their days.
It will also be possible to live stream these games in the US via multiple on-demand platforms. Peacock, FuboTV, SlingTV, and Vidgo will all have streaming rights for their subscribers for the entirety of the tournament.
Canadian networks
With Canada entering their first FIFA World Cup since 1986, there will no doubt be a considerable interest in this winter’s tournament. The official broadcaster for the 2022 World Cup in Canada has already been announced, with RDS and The Sports Network (TSN) set to offer full coverage of the competition, including every kick of Canada’s games.
The matches will be broadcast on TSN and TSN2 channels in the English language. TSN is a subscription-based network, which can be obtained for a price of $20 CAD per month, excluding tax. If timed effectively, a one-month pass could be bought to cover the entirety of the competition to save you from having to pay for a second month unnecessarily.
Using a VPN to stream from other countries
If you live elsewhere, or you are required to go abroad for a short time with work, you may be forced to settle for coverage on the terrestrial television network of the country you’re based in. If you don’t want to watch the coverage on an overseas channel and you’d prefer to watch via the BBC’s iPlayer or the ITV Hub, the only alternative is to use a virtual private network (VPN).
A VPN is popular among web users to cloak their real IP address and location, providing a sense of anonymity online. VPNs can therefore be used to cloak your IP address and make it appear that you are logging in from the UK. VPNs aren’t illegal. However, you may have to forego the highest internet upload speeds to stream the game. It could be worth the risk to watch the football in your language, spoken by the pundits and analysts you know and respect.
