FIFA World Cup 2022: Live telecast, streaming in India; Sports18 channel numbers
The FIFA World Cup 2022 gets underway in Qatar tomorrow (November 20) with the host nation facing Ecuador in a Group A game at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor.
Qatar is set to welcome over 1.3 million fans for the World Cup which concludes on December 18. Many Indians are travelling to Qatar to watch the 32-team tournament and for those who want to follow the action live on television and on streaming, here is what they need to do.
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In India, Viacom18 Sports has won the broadcast rights to telecast all the FIFA World Cup matches live.
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Sports18 – 1, both SD and HD channels will telecast the FIFA World Cup matches live. And, live streaming will be available for free on JioCinema app (available both on iOS and Android).
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JioCinema is available for Jio, Vi, Airtel and BSNL subscribers. JioCinema will live-stream all the matches and offer curated content around the FIFA World Cup 2022 in five languages – English, Bengali, Hindi, Malayalam, and Tamil.
Sports18 has announced an expert panel for the FIFA World Cup. Wayne Rooney, one of the most prolific strikers to have ever played the game and England’s all-time top goal-scorer, will be joined by Portuguese legend and Ballon d’Or winner Luis Figo, who led his country to the semi-finals in 2006, their best finish at a FIFA World Cup since 1966.
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‘The Invincibles’ teammates Sol Campbell, Robert Pires and Gilberto Silva will also be part of the panel. Campbell is the only player to have represented England in six consecutive major tournaments, playing in 1996, 2000 and 2004 Euros; and 1998, 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups, while Pires was an integral part of France’s 1998 World Cup-winning team and Silva was Brazil’s defensive rock in the 2002 World Cup winning campaign.
“Delighted to be in India and joining Viacom18 Sports for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. It is my first opportunity to visit the country and get a chance to speak to many of the Indian football fans who supported me during my playing career,” said Wayne Rooney. “I am also excited to be a part of the country’s World Cup experience and excitement.”
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The panel will be part of Match Centre Live, which will give fans the ultimate experience of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, including in-depth analysis, pitch-side coverage and locker room access from the convenience of their homes.
The Match Centre Live will be a fully immersive studio show customised in all five languages on JioCinema, with former players joining for the English coverage.
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Sports18 – 1 is available on the following service providers:
| Operators | Sports18 SD Channel Number | Sports18 HD Channel Number |
| Tata Play | 488 | 487 |
| Airtel Digital | 293 | 294 |
| JioTV+ | 262 | 261 |
| Sun Direct | 505 | 983 |
| Dish TV | 644 | 643 |
| D2H | – | 666 |