FIFA decided to get into the business of streaming Y ad FIFA Plusa digital platform where they will be transmitted live football matches, original series and all kinds of content related to the king sport.
The service will offer 1,400 live matches during its launch and is set to reach 40,000 games by the end of 2022. Broadcasts include men’s and women’s soccer from more than 100 associations across the six confederations.
In order to close the gender gap that exists in sport, FIFA promised 11,000 women’s matches. The service was also said to provide live coverage of Europe’s top leagues and other lesser-known competitions, including youth football.
FIFA Plus will also integrate an archive of classic World Cup games. Service streaming will offer all the men’s and women’s matches prior to the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
During its release complete endings are available and memorable moments, like Maradona’s hand of God in 1986, the moment Ronaldo collapsed against France in 1998, or the day Roberto Baggio missed the decisive penalty kick in the 1994 USA final.
Another important feature of FIFA+ is the original content. The platform will have documentaries, short films, docuseries and other talk shows. In the catalog we find Ronaldinho: the happiest man in the worlda documentary about the life of the Brazilian star; heroinesfocused on the Women’s World Cup; Iceland: The debutwhich focuses on the explosion of the Icelandic team at the 2018 World Cup, and many more.
Unlike other platforms like Netflix or Disney Plus, FIFA Plus is free. That does not mean that FIFA has not considered a paid subscription. Chris Burr, director of the service, told Variety that the platform will be strategically extended to games, social communities, and possibly a truly plus.
There are conversations with some streamers to create exclusive content for FIFA Plus. According to Gianni Infantino, president of the Federation, the new online video service streaming It represents the vision of making football truly global and inclusive.
Although the idea sounds good, the success of FIFA Plus depends on many factors. The main enemy of the International Federation of Football Association are the licences. Initially, the platform will not broadcast the Qatar 2022 World Cup live since the transmission rights are different in each country.
In its announcement, FIFA promises coverage of “the most important leagues in Europe”, but does not specify which ones. This could be read as “We do not have the rights to La Liga or the Premier, but we do have Norwegian football or the second division in Iceland”, a practice that the extinct Pro Evolution Soccer by Konami.
If a subscription model offers access to tournaments such as the World Cup or the Champions League, live matches from the most important leagues in Europe and the world (including the powerful Liga MX), FIFA Plus would be an invincible rival. The probability of that happening is as high as the probability that CONCACAF’s corruption will end soon.
FIFA Plus will be available from today on the web and mobile phones, with a view to expanding to other connected devices.