Stop 4: Digital Services
To better service its Media Partners, FIFA extends its content creation and distribution beyond traditional broadcast into digital platforms. Through cloud-based workflows, real-time data, and remote production tools, Media Partners can access, customize, and distribute content across a wide range of digital environments. These services, developed in a fully integrated ecosystem, complement broadcast operations, enabling new formats, seamless content delivery, and more personalized fan experiences: from content ingestion at the IBC to global digital distribution, the Digital Services enable flexible, scalable, and remote workflows to support live and non-live operations.
Cloud-Based Production Platform
FIFA’s digital ecosystem enables full remote production capabilities through a set of cloud-based and web-based tools. Media Partners can leverage a range of live feeds made available within the FIFA ecosystem, including extended match coverage and additional camera angles, which are ingested into digital workflows. These feeds are then processed and made available across the different Digital Services, such as Match Buddy, Digital Content Live, and other platform-based experiences. They can also be combined with additional sources, including Media Partner content, to create enriched and customized outputs.
Through dedicated interfaces, Media Partners can:
- Integrate their own remote commentary solutions
- Combine feeds with external graphics workflows
- Manage and customize multiple feeds simultaneously
This approach enables the creation of localized and branded content from anywhere in the world, while maintaining high production standards. In addition, selected outputs can be delivered via SRT, enabling seamless integration into Media Partners’ digital platforms.
Match Buddy
A staple of the Digital Services delivery, the Match Buddy is an interactive, data-driven experience designed for digital platforms. It brings together multiple video feeds and real-time match data within a single dynamic interface, allowing Media Partners to create enriched and engaging viewing experiences.
A range of video sources can be integrated into the templates, including:
- World Feed and Media Partner Feed
- Team-focused feeds
- Tactical and alternative camera angles
- Fan and reaction content
A predefined set of feeds is made available for integration into the templates, allowing Media Partners to select the most relevant angles ahead of the match.
Several template configurations are available, as illustrated above, enabling different layouts and editorial approaches depending on the target audience and platform. Video and data are seamlessly combined within customizable templates, allowing easy integration into Media Partners’ digital environments.
Templates can be monetized by Media Partners through the integration of their own branding and commercial elements, in line with FIFA monetization guidelines. The final output is delivered as an SRT stream, ready to be integrated into Media Partners’ digital platforms.
As a complement to traditional linear coverage, Match Buddy offers a more flexible and immersive experience, helping Media Partners engage new audiences and extend their digital reach.
Digital Content Live
Outside of OTT environments, Digital Services also streamline the integration of content into Media Partners’ social media platforms through Digital Content Live (DCL), a web-based tool enabling the live publication of selected content on preferred and approved platforms.
DCL focuses on capturing and distributing key moments from the available live feeds, including team arrivals, hotel departures, warm-ups, and fan atmosphere in and around the stadium.
Several live feeds are made available to Media Partners, including:
- MD-1 Open Training and Press Conferences
- Team A and Team B feeds
- Fan Feed
These feeds provide a wide range of editorial content across the match lifecycle, from pre-match activities to in-stadium atmosphere, supporting dynamic and engaging storytelling, enabling Media Partners to publish engaging content in real time, with assets also available for further use across their digital platforms.
Automated Content Creation
Automated Content Creation leverages AI-powered technology to generate compilation-based video content, enabling Media Partners to efficiently produce highlights packages at scale.
By analyzing match feeds and associated metadata, the system automatically identifies key moments such as goals, chances, and key actions, and assembles them into structured highlight compilations (e.g. match summaries, player-focused content, or thematic edits).
As the tournament progresses, the system can also generate evolving compilations based on aggregated data, such as the best goals of the competition, all goals scored by headers, or top moments from a specific team or player, enabling dynamic and editorialized storytelling throughout the event.
These videos are produced in multiple formats tailored for digital platforms, including short-form and vertical (9:16) formats, allowing Media Partners to quickly publish engaging content across their social and digital channels.
The solution significantly reduces manual editing effort while increasing content output, enabling Media Partners to produce a wide range of editorial assets throughout the tournament.
Media Partners also retain the flexibility to further edit, customize, or localize the generated content to match their editorial tone and audience expectations.
