New Delhi,   Viacom18 Sports on Thursday announced that JioCinema will live-stream all the matches of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, set to happen from November 20 to December 18, for free.

Apart from this, the TV broadcast of the marquee tournament will happen on Sports18 - 1 SD & HD channels.

The 2022 edition of the FIFA World Cup will see most matches played in India primetime slots like 18:30, 20:30 and 21:30 IST. Group stage primetime matches in the showpiece tournament will include key clashes like defending champions France up against Denmark, apart from England vs Iran, Portugal vs Ghana, Brazil vs Switzerland, and Croatia vs Belgium.

"Viacom18 Sports' multi-platform presentation of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will be immersive, personalised and offer viewers exclusive experiences on JioCinema. We want consumers to have easy access to world-class production across digital and linear platforms (on Sports 18) to match the event's stature."

"Our efforts are towards reshaping fan experience and building one of the most-loved media platforms in India," said Viacom18 Sports CEO Anil Jayaraj.

The 64-match competition will be headlined by live streaming of all games in 4K, a first for FIFA World Cup live stream in India, along with multiple language feeds like English, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, and Bengali on JioCinema without charging any subscription fees.

Recently, Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd. recently announced a strategic investment from Bodhi Tree Systems, a company in 2021 established by former 21st Century Fox CEO James Murdoch, and India's media doyen Uday Shankar.

This will be the first time FIFA World Cup to be held in an Arab country and just the second time the mega event will be held entirely in Asia after the 2002 tournament was hosted by South Korea and Japan.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be the last to involve 32 teams, with an increase to 48 teams scheduled for the 2026 edition to be hosted by the United States of America, Mexico, and Canada.

The first match of the tournament will be played between hosts' Qatar and Ecuador at Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor. The final is due to be held on December 18, which also coincides with the Qatar National Day.