OPTUS BROADCASTING INTERNATIONAL WARM UP GAMES AHEAD OF 2018 FIFA WORLD CUP

Optus will be helping Australian football fans get into the 2018 FIFA World Cup^TM spirit, with Optus Sport announced as the exclusive broadcaster of 15 international warm up matches.

The matches, which include four of the top five FIFA ranked teams, will be played in the three weeks leading up to the 2018 FIFA World Cup^TM and will give fans an opportunity to see how their favourite players and teams are performing ahead of the tournament.

Optus Sport’s Executive Producer Richard Bayliss, who will be hosting from Russia during the World Cup, said, “Optus Sport’s coverage of the 2018 World Cup is going to be our biggest project since we launched two years ago.  We are going to provide comprehensive coverage and insights from our great on-air team across multiple platforms and will be the only place to watch every match live”.

“Being able to show these 15 international warm up matches is a great way to bring the World Cup forward by providing football fans with the opportunity to see how teams are preparing for the tournament,” said Bayliss.

Some of the highlight matches being played exclusively on Optus Sport include:

• Portugal v Belgium (1st June) – Teams ranked third and fourth respectively on the FIFA World rankings.
• Argentina v Haiti (29^th May) and Argentina v Israel (9^th June) – Two opportunities for fans to see Argentina’s Lionel Messi in action.
• Brazil v Croatia (3^rd June) and Brazil v Austria (10^th June) – Five-time world champions Brazil in two games, plus group D contenders Croatia.
• Denmark v Mexico (9^th June) – Passionate Australian football supporters can analyse Denmark's form ahead of the much-anticipated Group C clash with the Socceroos.

OPTUS SPORT EXCLUSIVE WARM UP MATCHES DRAW

The below list is of the 15 confirmed warm up matches exclusive to Optus Sport are listed below. Kick off times are still to be determined.  Check the Optus Sport Fixture Guide for confirmed times.

Date

Match

World Cup Pool

Turkey v Iran 

B

Portugal v Tunisia

B

Argentina v Haiti

D

Peru v Scotland

C

Luxembourg v Senegal

H

Belgium v Portugal

B and G

Brazil v Croatia

D and E

Russia v Turkey

A

Norway v Panama

G

Portugal v Algeria

B

Belgium v Egypt

A and G

Argentina v Israel

D

Denmark v Mexico

C and F

Austria v Brazil

E

Monday 11 June

Belgium v Costa Rica

G

HOW TO WATCH

Optus Sport is available to a range of eligible Optus customers on a wide variety of platforms. These include compatible smartphones (iOS and Android), on TV (using Fetch TV, Apple TV or Chromecast) on a compatible tablet and on the web.  Plus, from later this month, Optus Sport will be available for the first time to non-Optus customers and Optus customers who were previously not eligible, for $14.99 per month.[1]

Optus Sport is the only place to watch all 64 games of the 2018 FIFA World Cup^TM live and on demand. All subscribers will be able to access the entire breadth of Optus Sport’s 2018 FIFA World Cup ^TM coverage, including two 24/7 channels, every single match both live and on-demand, highlights, replays and analysis. Subscribers also get Optus Sport’s entire array of dedicated World Cup programming. Visit Optus Sport for further details on how to watch every match.[2]

FIFA WORLD CUP APP

Australians will also be able to stay on the ball anytime and on the go with the official FIFA World Cup™ app, due to launch soon. The app is being developed in collaboration with SBS, and SBS’s match of the day will be free for all users on the app. Optus Sport subscribers can also use their credentials to log in to this app and watch all 64 matches of the 2018 tournament live.

To find out more about Optus Sport visit https://sport.optus.com.au/.                                                                                            

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Media contact:
Candice Lester/Michelle Pacey
Optus Corporate Affairs
(02) 8082 7850
media@optus.com.au

[1] Personal viewing in Australia only. Compatible device, and Australian app store account required. Charges may apply (see optus.com.au/fifa)

[2] Optus is broadcasting the 2018 FIFA World Cup in association with SBS which will be broadcasting one live match per matchday.