Global smart TV provider NetRange has secured the exclusive global rights to broadcast qualifying matches for the 2014 football World Cup live on smart TVs.
In a deal with sports rights agency Sportfive, the company has secured over 140 meetings between the European national teams, which will be broadcast via the “Qualifiers 2014” app.
All matches will subsequently be available on-demand. In total, fifty percent of European qualifying matches will be broadcast via smart TVs.
These include matches involving Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Serbia, Slovakia, Turkey, Ukraine and Wales, as well as those involving the current European and World Champions, Spain.
The Qualifiers 2014 app is available on the smart TV portals from the manufacturers Loewe, Sharp, Thomson and Ikea, as well as on all other connected TV devices equipped with NetRange portals.
“By offering this completely new form of football broadcasting, we are breaking new ground in the exploitation of media and sports rights, and may even be making television history” comments Jan Wendt, managing director of NetRange, in a statement.
“We are delighted to be able to offer users of our Smart TV portals world class sport with the highest image quality – live and on-demand.”