SportsMax and Digicel announced Wednesday that they have secured broadcast rights for the 2018 FIFA World Cup RussiaTM, for 22 countries, through an agreement signed with DIRECTV.

Following the successful carriage of the FIFA World Cup in 2006, 2010 & 2014 as well as the upcoming exclusive coverage of the 2020 Summer Olympics, SportsMax and Digicel have acquired the English and Spanish language media rights for all 64 matches in the 2018 FIFA World Cup running from June 14 to July 15.

The action from Russia will be broadcast on free-to-air TV, broadband, pay TV, radio and significantly, streaming via mobile.

In addition to the FIFA World Cup being broadcast on free-to-air TV, where available, to reach the widest possible Caribbean audience and via Digicel Home & Entertainment, SportsMax will have a dedicated FIFA World Cup channel available online with over 700 hours of live programming and analysis so fans in the broadcast territories can enjoy the action in Russia on various platforms, wherever and whenever they want.

“It’s an exciting time for SportsMax as we countdown to the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Our partnership with DIRECTV has allowed us to take the game of football to the people who love it most, whether they are at home watching TV, in the car listening to the radio, or on the go with their smartphones and mobile devices. Broadcast rights vary in each of the countries, but altogether include free-to-air, broadband, pay-tv, radio and mobile platforms, offering more people, more options to support their team,” said Olly McIntosh, CEO of IMC and SportsMax.

In the weeks counting down to the games, SportsMax and Digicel will be unveiling special offers for customers to access the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

The countries that will benefit and are included in the rights agreement are: Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Suriname, Cayman Islands, Bahamas, Guyana, Dominican Republic, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Grenada, Haiti, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, US Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Dominica, Montserrat, and Turks & Caicos.

SportsMax is the leader in the Caribbean for world-class sporting events, having acquired rights and previously brought to viewers the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup; 2009 & 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup; multiple FIFA Youth World Cups; Copa Americas; the London 2012 Summer Olympics; as well as the Olympic Winter Games Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014 and Pyeonchang 2018. SportsMax continues to do this with the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia and the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympics.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia will be the 21st staging of the event, slated for 12 venues and featuring 32 powerhouses, including defending champions Germany and other tournament favourites Brazil, Spain, France, Argentina, Belgium and Portugal.(SportsMax).