ORF and ServusTV to Broadcast FIFA World Cup Group Stage Matches: The Broadcast Schedule at a Glance

The "1st Pick" Principle on the Final Matchday

On the final matchday of each group, the so-called "1st Pick" principle applies. The broadcaster that receives the "1st Pick" is allowed to decide which of the two simultaneously played matches it will broadcast. This arrangement is intended to ensure that both Austrian free-to-air broadcasters can show profile-defining matches during the decisive phases of the group stage.

Matches Involving Austria

Several matches involving Austria are included in the broadcast schedule. ServusTV will show the encounter Argentina vs. Austria on 22 June at 7 pm, and on 28 June at 4 am, Jordan vs. Argentina can also be seen on ServusTV. This results in a total of two documented appearances of the Austrian national team on free-to-air television.

ORF Broadcasts at a Glance

In addition to the matches involving Austria, the broadcasters are also showing numerous other fixtures from various confederations. ORF is broadcasting, among others, the match Spain vs. Cape Verde on 15 June at 6 pm, the encounter Switzerland vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina on 19 June at 9 pm, and the match Jordan vs. Algeria on 23 June at 5 am. Scotland vs. Brazil on 25 June at midnight and Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia on 27 June at 2 am are also ORF matches.

ServusTV Broadcasts at a Glance

ServusTV, in turn, has secured rights to, among others, England vs. Croatia on 18 June at 10 pm, Belgium vs. Egypt on 16 June at 9 pm, and USA vs. Australia on 20 June at 9 pm. Also airing on ServusTV are Spain vs. Saudi Arabia on 21 June at 6 pm, Brazil vs. Haiti on 20 June at 2:30 am, and Portugal vs. Uzbekistan on 23 June at 7 pm. The duel New Zealand vs. Egypt on 22 June at 3 am is also part of the ServusTV schedule.

The match Uzbekistan vs. Colombia on 18 June at 4 am as well as the encounter Democratic Republic of the Congo vs. Uzbekistan on 28 June at 1:30 am, for which ServusTV holds the "1st Pick," are also part of the ServusTV schedule. The final group match, Colombia vs. Democratic Republic of the Congo on 24 June at 4 am, can be seen on ServusTV, while Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast on 26 June at 10 pm is an ORF match with "1st Pick" status.

On the final matchday of the respective group, fixtures such as Scotland vs. Morocco (ServusTV, 20 June, midnight), Czechia vs. South Africa (ORF, 18 June, 6 pm), and Scotland vs. Brazil (ORF, 25 June, midnight) are also on the schedule. As a result, viewers in Austria have a broad selection of live matches spread across the entire course of the group stage.

According to the available data, the matches played so far in the tournament have consistently produced high scorelines. These include the fixtures Germany vs. Curaçao (7:1), Sweden vs. Tunisia (5:1), and USA vs. Paraguay (4:1). These results point to an offensively driven competition, the course of which is also reflected in the selection of broadcasts.

Overall, the split between ORF and ServusTV shows that both Austrian free-to-air broadcasters are present throughout the entire group stage. The "1st Pick" arrangement on the final matchday ensures that the rights are divided fairly between the two broadcasters and enables them to specifically show the most relevant sporting matches.