In just a few hours’ time, the greatest show on earth will be back once again. Yup, the FIFA World Cup 2014 is finally here and will be conquering the lives of many football fans out there for the next month.
It will all start with the kick-off of the tournament’s first match between the home team Brazil and Croatia at 4:00am Malaysian time, 13 June. Hence, we have come out with a quick guide for the tournament that covers from match schedules to TV channels as well as how to easily spot food joints that actually screen live World Cup matches.
So, jump in!
On Astro
As mentioned in our previous report, Astro is going all guns blazing with its 2014 FIFA World Cup coverage. Basically, Astro will be showing all of the tournament’s 64 matches live through five high definition channels and five standard definition channels. These channels are 841 to 844 and 821 to 824 with 840 and 820 being mosaic channels in which viewers are able to have a quick glimpse of any World Cup contents or matches on the other eight individual channels.
Alongside the 64 matches, Astro will also be providing World Cup-related in-house shows such as Ola Bola, Café Rio, and daily match highlights. Additionally, there are also around 100 hours’ worth of FIFA World Cup on-demand contents for subscriber that are on Internet-connected PVR box and Astro On-The-Go. Here is the full listing of all 64 World Cup matches on Astro:
Speaking of Astro On-The-Go, all 64 matches will be shown on the platform as well. However, Astro has also provided a separate mobile app and web player specially made for the tournament which is called Astro Go 2014 FIFA World Cup. It offers six live multi-angle feeds during all of the 64 World Cup matches as well as Timeline and Event Markers for instant replays alongside access to more than 4,000 on-demand video contents.
As mentioned in our previous report, the full coverage of 2014 FIFA World Cup including those on Astro On-The-Go platform is available by default for Astro Sports Pack (with active subscription before 30 April) and Super Pack (before 31 May) customers without additional fees. For the rest of the subscribers, the coverage can be obtained by obtaining the Football Pass which costs RM 100.
Do note that even if you are eligible for the coverage, you still need the Astro on the Go Anytime Anywhere (AA) Pack subscription in order to access the 2014 FIFA World Cup through Astro On-The-Go platform. Although it costs RM 10 per month, the pack is available for free to Astro’s Super Pack, Multi-Room, Sports Pack and Value Pack customers.
Now…what if you are not a Sports Pack, Super Pack or Football Pass customers? Well, there are 30 live and 5 delayed matches available for you through Astro Arena on channel 801. Similarly for Astro NJOI customers, Astro Arena will be activated for you free of charge throughout the World Cup period. Here are the list of matches that will be aired on Astro Arena:
For Astro NJOI customers that want to have access to the full 64 live World Cup matches, they can do so by obtaining the RM 100 Football Pass. However, only standard definition channels (820 to 824) will be made accessible to them since HD capability is not available for Astro NJOI. Furthermore, the pass doesn’t include access to full coverage of World Cup on Astro On-The-Go platform.
On Free To Air TV
For terrestrial TV, only RTM channels will be showing 2014 FIFA World Cup matches. To be available through TV1 and TV2 as well as TVi on Astro’s channel 180 , RTM will be showing 24 live and 11 delayed telecasts as listed here:
Don’t forget, RTM online channels will not be showing World Cup matches since the organization does not have such rights to provide such service. Hope your TV antenna is already in its place and calibrated properly…
Online
As far as official Malaysian-based online platform goes, the only available option is Astro On-The-Go.
Just like what we have explained earlier, eligible subscribers will be able to catch all 64 World Cup matches through the usual Astro On-The-Go mobile apps and web player as well as the specially made Astro Go 2014 FIFA World Cup mobile apps and web player.
Even if you don’t have Astro at all but still want to have the full 2014 FIFA World Cup coverage through Astro On-The-Go platform, you can do so by obtaining the RM 100 Football Pass. However, this pass doesn’t include the access to the specially made Astro Go 2014 FIFA World Cup mobile apps and web player.
Doesn’t want to pay anything at all? Well, you are still able to catch 30 live and 5 delayed matches through the standard Astro On-The-Go web player and mobile apps for free. All you need to do is sign up for free Astro ID right over here. Additionally, you are still able catch the matches that are not part of the free viewing list for RM 6 per match…you know, just in case it involves your favourite team.
Outside of Your Home
When it comes to watching football outside of your home, food joints are the usual choice for many of us and the first type of such establishments that usually pops up in our head is obviously mamak restaurants. However, they will definitely be plenty of other food joints as well that will be opened to cater to football fans during the World Cup season.
Furthermore, half of the World Cup duration will take place during the Ramadhan month which gives restaurants additional reason to extend their opening hours to cater to both sahur and World Cup customers. In case you are unsure, just find the banner shown above.
Additionally, fans are also able to catch World Cup matches at McDonald’s which is one of the official sponsors as well as the official restaurant for the tournament. Apparently, all 64 matches will be made available live in HD at 24-hour McDonald’s branches throughout the country.
If you need to find a branch near your location, you can use this branch locater on McDonald’s Malaysia’s website.
There you have it: our little guide on how and where to catch FIFA World Cup 2014. Feel free to share your own tips as well in the comment section below (as long as the tips are not illegal).
So, who do you think is going to win the title this year?
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