How Streaming Transformed FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 for Billions of Fans

The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 not only brings together the best national teams and players on the planet in the biggest football/soccer tournament of the year from November 20 to December 18, it is the championship of record numbers, as well.

According to data provided by FIFA, over 2.45 Million tickets were sold to attend matches. Likewise, the global organization estimates that the event will generate revenues for more than 7 billion dollars, although the Qatari government’s expectations come up to US$18 Billion. 

Additionally, and as far as television is concerned, the World Football/Soccer Governing Body states that more than half of the global population will follow the tournament on TV. This means that approximately 5 billion people will be following the tournament development from their screens. Therefore, according to estimates Qatar 2022’s reach will be 42% higher than Russia’s,  which registered 3.5 billion viewers, thanks to streaming technology. 

This kind of technology provides constant data flow from the source where content is generated to the end user. Three stages are key to assure this ongoing data flow and its quality –acquisition, distribution, and transmission. 

For example, Cirion acts throughout this process by means of its Content Delivery Network -CDN-, leveraged by connectivity infrastructure nodes, covering more than 60 countries and 600 cities worldwide, delivering content to end users and assuring that those who use multiple ISPs have an optimal and close route to the content distributed by our company. 

Further additional techniques are utilized at this stage and in transmission to ensure that content delivered to end users is compatible with the device format and user’s bandwidth availability.

Undoubtedly, streaming development entails a before and after in live sport event broadcasting, since coverage has been significantly enhanced, enabling end user’s mobility in many cases. 

On the other hand, accessibility, connectivity, and security in sporting events transmission are among the other breakthroughs currently standing out among streaming users. 

Specifically:

• Accessibility has to do with connection costs based on the Internet plan hired, broadcasting rights for the event, and devices used to receive content in standard, HD, or ultra HD format, for example.
• Connectivity has got significant breakthroughs worldwide, both in penetration as well as coverage and costs. This enables way more robust streaming platforms adjustable to end users’ conditions.
• Security calls for encryption and user authentication as fundamentals for any streaming platform.
• This is why there are distribution and transmission techniques in place, which allow end user’s geolocation based on their IP and according to regionally defined parameters as well as by the event’s ownership rights.

The Sports world is undoubtedly one of greatest potential areas for development, thanks to innovative technologies that have become a key enabler to reach ever larger audiences. 

Qatar 2022 will undoubtedly be the ideal setting to prove the true impact of streaming on the playground as well as other innovations for the benefit of football/soccer fans worldwide and tournament organizers. It might as well be the definitive takeoff for total massification of platforms as far as far-reaching sporting events are concerned, including Super Bowl and the Olympic Games, just to mention a few. 

Author

Juan Manuel González
Data & Internet Products Director
Cirion Technologies, Colombia

Juan Manuel has been data and internet products director at Cirion Technologies Colombia since 2008, responsible for defining business strategies aimed at securing sales targets, as well as efficient resource use to hit the business expected EBITDA. Systems engineer specialized in Business Administration from the ICESI University, Juan Manuel is a professional with an experience of over 25 years in the IT and telecommunications sector.