Behind the scenes of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar
The World Cup is the most widely-viewed sporting event in the world. Getting it from the field to the screens takes a village.
By now, you’ve surely watched at least one game of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Even if you’re not a soccer fan, the World Cup is everywhere. It’s the most-watched sporting event in the world and this year, there’s been plenty of drama surrounding the event, on and off the field.
Lucky for us consumers, we have been able to follow it all every step of the way. But what does it take to get a huge event like the World Cup from the field onto the screens of millions of people across the globe, including 24 Middle Eastern countries?
Behind the scenes of the 2022 World Cup
2022 marks the first year that a country in the Middle East has hosted a World Cup. With that comes extra pressures, including getting all 64 games onto the screens of millions across 24 different countries in the Middle East. That’s exactly what beIN SPORTS is doing. As official rights holders, they cover every single game in four different languages, all coordinated from their studios in Doha.
“I remember the last World Cup and when I was here in the Confederations Cup, and all the legends that come in, whether it’s Ruud Gullet or Patrick Kluviert or Del Piero, Kaka,” recalled former USA player and current sports broadcaster Chris Sullivan. “The first thing they do is look at the studios and they’re just blown away.”
BeIN Sports’ headquarters in Qatar have become one of the leading sports broadcasters in the world over the last few decades. For the 2022 World Cup, they have provided daily live coverage over eight channels with some of the biggest names in soccer providing analysis, including World Cup winners, former international players, and global experts like elite coaches and acclaimed referees. The bespoke studios produced coverage watched by a billion people in the first 16 games alone.
“Coming here and having the chance to be part of the team for the World Cup is a fantastic opportunity,” said former Algeria player Adlène Guedioura. “When I first came in here, everyone was welcoming and the place is fantastic, and I really think I’m going to enjoy it more and more.”