TORONTO – CBC/Radio-Canada’s month-long coverage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil kicks off Thursday on TV, radio, online at cbc.ca/fifaworldcup for computers, and through an interactive app for mobile devices and tablets.
Coverage begins with the opening ceremony on June 12, live at 2:00 PM ET (11:00 AM PT) followed by the opening match between Brazil and Croatia. Daily coverage throughout the Group Stage (June 12–26) includes three live matches during daytime hours followed by a primetime broadcast. The Second Stage begins June 28 with the Round of 16, eventually leading to the final game on July 13.
CBC said that its coverage will provide viewers with a multi-feed viewing experience of the games, the 12 cities in which the games will be played, and the storylines produced by the global event. In all, CBC will carry more than 230 hours of television coverage from 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil. Broadcast sponsors include Coca-Cola, adidas, CIBC, Official Canadian Bank in Association with Visa, Johnson & Johnson, Budweiser, Bell, Chevrolet and Hotels.com.
CBC’s FIFA World Cup App for iOS and Android will offer a choice of six live feeds per match, allowing users to select the angle from which they want to watch the game and near-live highlights covering all of the biggest plays and moments from every match. The app will also feature multiple social media feeds allowing users to share clips and news along with their own thoughts through Twitter, Facebook and Google+.
Through agreements with Sportsnet, TLN, Fairchild /Talentvision and TVA, Canadian viewers will have access to every minute of every game live on TV in multiple languages including English, French, Mandarin, Cantonese, Italian and Spanish. In addition to TV coverage, CBC Radio One will carry the tournament’s final match live, and live radio broadcasts of each game will be available through SiriusXM and TSN Radio stations across the country.
Canadians can engage with CBC throughout the tournament by following @cbcsports on Twitter and using #CBCWorldCup. Leading up to and throughout the event, fans are encouraged to show their passion for the game by sharing photos and videos demonstrating what makes them Canada’s Super-Fans using #CBCWorldCup. CBC’s dedicated website will also feature an interactive map of Canada that will show which teams individual neighbourhoods across the country are supporting and their level of support based on online and social media activity.
In addition, CBC has partnered with CIBC on CIBC Soccer Nation, a seven-city viewing party tour each weekend throughout FIFA World Cup, bringing the beautiful game to audiences in communities across the country. Mobile viewing parties will be hosted in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto.
“Our FIFA World Cup programming will create a Canada-wide experience, helping fans feed and express their passion for soccer while keeping them informed, entertained and engaged,” said executive producer Paul McDougall, in the news release. “We’re leveraging our best-in-class production with a multi-feed concept to provide a unique CBC lens to the games, stories and host cities in Brazil and making the whole experience interactive through our digital and social platforms.”
