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So SBS Audio will not have any major involvement in the World Cup coverage, apart from news reports during the various foreign language programs.
You must have glossed over this line in the press release TV Cynic posted:
There’s no way a 3.30am ceremony (which will last about 16:30 according to The Athletic) can be covered with a 4.00am start to coverage.
Same goes for Canadian and American variants.
ads.
Looks like deep coverage. I won’t be watching much of it as I’m in Europe for the northern summer returning to Australia in time for the final. I’ll have to negotiate my way through Spanish, Portuguese, Greek and UK coverage over the coming weeks.
I wonder if on the ground calling is only for Australia’s games? Will all other games be the world English language feed?
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Yes.
The website is now up and running. The video extras include group preview show The Greatest Show on Earth, FIFA World Cup Short Histories, and Stories From The Cities - a 16-part series from FIFA exploring each host city, with more episodes to be added gradually ahead of the opening match.
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I’d say so. For past World Cups (including 2022) they employed Martin Tyler to commentate some of the non-Australian matches but he is not specifically mentioned. To be honest, he is past his best anyway and may even pop up on world feed.
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SBS doesn’t have the audio rights. SEN does.
Have looked at the SBS schedules for the first week of June and this is how the World Cup coverage typically looks on the first couple of days.
SBS Main Channel
AEST - live games are live to all markets so adjust for time zones. Others are the same time in every market.
04:00 AM FIFA World Cup 2026 Live Game (start times vary)
11:30 AM FIFA World Cup 2026 Live Game (start times vary)
02:30 PM FIFA World Cup 2026 Repeat of the 4:00 AM game (start time is straight after end of live game)
11:00 PM FIFA World Cup 2026: Highlights Show - start time varies (30 mins)
SBS Viceland
11:00 AM FIFA World Cup 2026: Highlights Show Rpt from previous night
08:30 PM Cup Fever! 30 min every night
11:00 PM FIFA World Cup 2026 Rpt of 4:00 AM Game
Also, the Countdown Concert will be shown live on Thursday morning 11:00 AM
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Still remains to be seen whether any programming will be shown in primetime after the matches conclude (from June 14) or SBS will just become a 24-hour World Cup channel.
Cup Fever!
Friday, 12 June at 8.30pm (34 parts)
SBS Viceland
SBS is celebrating the world’s biggest sporting event by bringing back a true fan favourite, with Cup Fever! returning for the FIFA World Cup 2026™.
Streaming on SBS On Demand every night of the FIFA World Cup, plus airing on SBS Viceland, and in a landmark first for SBS, also premiering on SBS Sport YouTube each night, Cup Fever! will meet Australians wherever they are watching and sharing the World Cup. Cup Fever! will reunite hosts Santo Cilauro and Ed Kavalee in a vodcast format to entertain fans across Australia with their signature blend of sharp analysis, humour and genuine football knowledge.
Produced by masters of comedy, Working Dog (Have You Been Paying Attention?, Thank God You’re Here, The Cheap Seats, Utopia), and recorded in front of a live studio audience, the nightly half hour show will see Santo and Ed joined by a host of well-known football identities, beloved comedians and fresh talent. The FIFA World Cup 2026™ will be the biggest in history, and Cup Fever! will deliver the day’s games highest highs, lowest lows and biggest laughs across a historic number of matches and host cities.
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Registration for audience tickets to Cup Fever is now open at the Working Dog website.
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More details announced yesterday.
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# SBS confirms its broadcast sponsors for FIFA World Cup 2026™
SBS has secured Hyundai, Hisense, Macca’s, Rexona, bet365, Commonwealth Bank and Youi Insurance as its broadcast sponsors for the FIFA World Cup 2026™
With less than two weeks until kick-off, SBS has confirmed the major brands supporting its exclusive coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2026™. that will be hosted across Canada, Mexico and the United States from June 12 to July 20 (AEST).
Some of Australia’s biggest brands – Hyundai, Hisense, Macca’s, Rexona, bet365, Commonwealth Bank and Youi Insurance have partnered with SBS’s broadcast of the FIFA World Cup 2026™, which will be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico over six weeks from 12 June to 20 July.
SBS is delivering fully integrated, cross-platform opportunities for sponsors across television, digital, streaming and social platforms, with bespoke brand activations and innovative commercial integrations designed to connect brands with audiences throughout the tournament.
SBS Acting Director of Media Sales Lee Fifoot said the calibre of brands reflected both the scale of the tournament and SBS’s unique connection with Australian audiences.
“We’re thrilled to partner with sponsors who recognise the value of connecting with Australians through the biggest FIFA World Cup™ in history.
“Through bespoke activations and innovative, high-impact commercial placements, brands will have the opportunity to engage with the millions of Australians expected to tune in to more than 550 hours of live coverage, highlights, replays and exclusive content across SBS and SBS On Demand.”
SBS National Manager, CulturalConnect, Kate Young said the tournament presented a powerful opportunity for brands to connect with audiences through SBS’s integrated ecosystem and low-clutter environment.
“Football is a truly global sport that transcends cultures and borders, making the FIFA World Cup™ one of the world’s most powerful platforms for brands to connect with audiences,” said Young.
“Through SBS CulturalConnect, we’ve been working alongside sponsors to co-create integrated opportunities across our entire ecosystem – from broadcast and streaming to digital, social and creator-led activations.
“We’re excited by the creativity and ambition our partners have brought to this year’s tournament coverage.”
SBS will broadcast all 104 matches live and free on television and live streaming via SBS On Demand.
SBS’s coverage will begin with the Opening Ceremony followed by the first match between Mexico and South Africa on June 12 from 4am (AEST), while Australia’s first match is against Türkiye with coverage starting on June 14 from 1pm (AEST) on both SBS and SBS On Demand.
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bet365 is dissapointing, I thought they didn’t take gambling advertising?
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At least you have the option to opt out of gambling ads on SBSOD.
Not the in-coverage “thanks to bet365” I’d say.
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