Sony Six to telecast run up to FIFA World Cup 2014

The initiative is a move to leverage the build up to the tournament that kick-starts on June 12 in Brazil.

Sony Six, the sports and entertainment channel from Multi Screen Media, will air an onset to the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Brazil.

According to the channel, the exclusive broadcaster of the event, the tournament is staged at an all-time high and is ready to capture the imagination of millions of sports enthusiasts and hardcore football lovers. The channel plans to capitalise on this opportunity through "high quality" and exclusive content for fans.

Starting May 5, the channel has lined up programmes like 'Destination Brazil', which is a 16-episode 2014 FIFA World Cup preview series, profiling all the qualified teams for the tournament and evaluating their respective chances. 'Football's World Stars' is a 10-episode series profiling all the top football players in the world who will be seen in action in 2014 FIFA World Cup.

'FIFA World Cup Official Films' is another programme, showcasing exclusive official films that date back to the past 15 World Cups (excluding the 2010 WC in South Africa) recounting the best from the tournament. 'FIFA Route to The Final' is a seven-episode series that maps the successful cup journey of Brazil in 2002, Italy in 2006 and Spain in 2010.

'FIFA World Cup Shocks' is a multi-episode series that underlines the unpredictable nature of the game by showcasing astonishing upsets by the 'Dark Horse' teams over superior opponents in the tournament. 'FIFA World Cup Classics' is a multi-episode series featuring some of the most exciting, entertaining and memorable games from the FIFA World Cup history. Meanwhile, 'FIFA World Cup Stories' is a six-part series featuring some of the intriguing stories from all the previous World Cups that have etched their names in the memoirs of the game.

Another programme in the pipeline is 'Best Matches By Nation', a programme that will give viewers a look at all the previous World Cup winners and some of their most memorable wins including teams like Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, England and Uruguay. Sony Six will also air 'Re-Live South Africa', a collection of four episodes covering various aspects from the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa, including the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final between Spain and Netherland.

'FIFA World Cup Classic Players' is another multi-episode series profiling some of football's "greatest" legends and their contribution to the sport, providing great insights into the life of the players. 'Top 20 FIFA World Cup Moments' is another special highlighting some of the most important moments that have defined the history of the tournament.

The last in the line-up is 'A-Z of FIFA World Cup Football', a series that will take viewers on a complete tour of the tournament, depicting the A to Z of the international football spectacle.

Prasana Krishnan, EVP and business head, Sony Six, says, "The excitement that stems from every World Cup is huge. We are using this fantastic opportunity to capture the hype of the upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup. Our holistic line up of content promises to ignite the fervour and passion of viewers. Our comprehensive line up of pre-tournament programmes promises the fact that there's something for everyone to enjoy as Six will provide the fans a true taste of the best football action before the biggest tournament in the world kicks off."

Sony Six had acquired the exclusive telecast rights for FIFA till 2018. The deal includes FIFA World Cup 2014 and FIFA World Cup 2018. The 2014 edition will be held in Brazil between June 12 and July 13, 2014 (group stage telecast from June 12- June 26; knockout stage from June 28 to July 12). FIFA World Cup 2014 has 64 matches to be played in 12 cities of Brazil.

FIFA World Cup 2018 will be held in Russia from June 8 to July 8, 2018. The deal also includes the rights to broadcast FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 to be hosted by India.