Fox Sports Unveils Robust 2018 Fifa World Cup Russia Digital Offerings
Match Center, Highlight Machine & Team Channels Headline ‘World Cup Everywhere’ Across Fox Sports App, FoxSports.com
LOS ANGELES(05 Jun 2018)
With Fox Sports delivering an unprecedented volume of television coverage from the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, including all 64 matches live and more matches on network television (38) than the last four FIFA World Cups combined, the company’s digital and social arsenal also raises the bar in support of the world’s most widely viewed sporting event, airing on FOX and FS1 from June 14 to July 15.
Leading sportswear company adidas joins the effort as the presenting sponsor of the full FOX Sports streaming effort across all digital platforms for the entire tournament. Coca-Cola is sponsoring the popular short-form 90 in 90 match highlights, one of the top-performing FOX Sports digital offerings, as well as joining adidas as a co-sponsor of Team Channels.
"Soccer fans and casual viewers alike will be delighted by our World Cup executions across the Fox Sports apps and FOXSports.com," said David Wertheimer, President, Digital Products for Fox Networks Group, Digital Consumer Group. "Just like our broadcasts, FOX Sports digital products provide unprecedented access -- getting viewers closer and deeper into the action."
For a preview of 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia coverage on the Fox Sports App: https://bit.ly/2KmBS6s
World Cup Hub – The FIFA World Cup Hub, launches the week of June 4 and changes dynamically to reflect current match and tournament status, and provides convenient access to all Fox Sports digital content across FOXSports.com and the Fox Sports App. Key features include:
- Live streams and full replays of all 64 matches
- Match Center – Gives users access to bonus feeds, commentary, rosters, stats and highlights
- Highlight Machine presented by adidas – Invites Web and mobile visitors to create and share custom highlight reels from past and current matches
- Extensive Highlights
- Exclusive Original Content
- Fan Guide
- Team Pages
- Schedules
- Standings
- Stats
Bonus Feeds – In addition to the main broadcast stream, Fox Sports offers five bonus feeds for each of the 64 FIFA World Cup matches, including Team Channels, Match 360, Tactical View, Cable Cam view and Highlights. The Bonus Feeds deliver seven hours of additional coverage per match and 448 total additional hours of coverage over the length of the tournament.
- Team Channels presented by adidas & Coca-Cola – Fox Sports will produce a country-specific experience encompassing three live video feeds (match simulcast, player & coach/bench) as well as real-time, team-vs-team stats. All feeds are synced to provide concurrent views of the action from various angles of the pitch.
- Match 360 (before & after the match) – A behind-the-scenes look two hours before each match kickoff that chronicles everything from team bus arrivals to warm-ups before the match
- Tactical View (during the game) – Positioned high above one of the goals, this view shows all 22 players on the pitch and reveals the shape of the offense and defense of both nations; at the end of the match, coverage switches to on-field post-match interviews, followed by both team press conferences
- Cable Cam – Suspended over the pitch, offers a unique view of the action
- Highlights – Provides a constant loop of highlights and significant plays as they happen; shown from multiple angles, including super slo-motion replay
Additional activations:
- Highlight Machine presented by Adidas – Fox Sports will deliver the FIFA World Cup Highlight Machine presented by Adidas. This one-of-a-kind technology brings fans all the best moments of this year’s tournament and its historic past matches, at the user’s command. By leveraging cognitive highlight and AI technology, users can create their own highlight reel by year, team, player, matches or play type, with the ability to share the highlight via their favorite social media platforms. Fox Sports has an on-going innovation collaboration with IBM to enable the best viewing experience for sports fans.
- Social VR – Introduced at last season’s CONCACAF Gold Cup, Fox Sports once again teams with industry-leader LiveLike on a social virtual reality offering, including a custom suite and three immersive, multi-angle VR feeds from each game
- FOX.com/FOX NOW – Live matches, 90 in 90 match highlights, match replays, live and on-demand episodes of World Cup Tonight, Phenoms and National Geographic’s Extreme Soccer Russia available in Fox Broadcasting’s multi-platform TV Everywhere offerings
- Instant Alerts – Instant goal highlight video alerts, scores, key plays, exciting matches and video recaps when each match ends
ABOUT Fox SPORTS
Fox Sports is the umbrella entity representing 21st Century Fox’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, Fox Sports includes ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing partnerships. Fox Sports includes the sports television arm of the Fox Broadcasting Company; FS1, FS2; Fox Sports Regional Networks, their affiliated regional web sites and national programming; Fox Soccer Plus; FOX Deportes and FOX College Sports. Fox Sports also encompasses Fox Sports Digital, which includes FOXSports.com, Fox Sports App and FOX Sports GO. Also included in the Group are Fox’s interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network and BTN 2Go, as well as a licensing agreement that establish the FOXFoxSports Radio Network.