On July 14, the 2018 FIFA World Cup will begin in Russia. 32 teams will battle it out for national supremacy in football (soccer) and to decide which country will claim the title of the world’s best in the “beautiful game”.
Billions of people from around the world are expected to tune in. So if you’re looking for a guide on how to watch the 2018 FIFA World Cup on Apple TV, you’re not alone! In this article, we’ll discuss your top options for watching the World Cup on your Apple TV. Whether you have a cable subscription, or you’re a cord-cutter, it’s sure to be useful. Let’s get started!
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Fox Sports and Telemundo Hold Exclusive 2018 FIFA World Cup Broadcasting Rights in America
Want to watch the 2018 FIFA World Cup in America? You’re going to need a subscription to Fox Sports or Telemundo for Spanish speakers. Fox (specifically, Fox Sports) has exclusive English-language rights in America, so you’ll have to subscribe to a cable or internet TV package that includes the channel.
Luckily for you, there are plenty of options for getting Fox Sports and Telemundo, even if you don’t have cable. Next, we’ll take a look at your options for getting Fox Sports with an internet TV service, and also mention where Telemundo is available as well.
fuboTV
When fuboTV was founded, its primary audience was American soccer fans, and people who wanted to watch other international competitions like rugby, F1 racing, and more. Because of this, it may come as no surprise that fuboTV is a great option for watching the 2018 FIFA World Cup on Apple TV.
Plans and channels
fuboTV recently changed their available packages. Now, you can choose between the $45/month fubo package, and the fubo Extra package, available for $50/month.
The sports-centric internet TV service comes with 75+ channels, and fubo Extra comes with about 15 more channels, bringing the total up to 90. Both packages include Fox Sports, so the best option for you depends on how many channels you want.
Your fuboTV subscription also includes some channels that are not available on any other competing service, like beIN Sports. If you plan on watching soccer year-round, fuboTV will let you watch top leagues like the Premier League on NBCSN, and La Liga, as well as the Bundesliga.
Features
fuboTV has a reasonable set of features, though it is a bit restrictive compared to some other picks on our list.
You get a free cloud-based DVR, which is a nice feature. However, you are limited to only 30 hours, so don’t expect to be able to record every FIFA game you want to watch. You can upgrade to 500 hours of storage if you pay an extra $10/month fee.
By default, you’re limited to just two simultaneous streams. However, if you pay an extra $6/month for the Family Share package, you can add a third simultaneous stream, which may be worth it for larger families, or if you share your subscription with housemates.
fuboTV has full Apple TV support, and can be downloaded from the App Store. It also supports all other major living room streaming platforms like Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku, as well as mobile viewing on web browsers and compatible iOS/Android devices.
You can try the service with a free trial now, and see if it’s right for you.
Sling TV
Sling TV was the very first “skinny bundle” internet TV service, so it’s still pretty popular with folks who have cut the cord on cable. With a low price, reasonable channels, and decent features, it’s a great choice for those who want to watch the 2018 FIFA World Cup on Apple TV without cable on Fox Sports.
Plans and channels
| Sling Orange Great Value $40.00/ month | 30+ channels ESPN New subscriber special 1 simultaneous stream | Try Sling |
| Sling Blue Great Value$40.00/ month | 40+ channels Fox, NBC, CNN, MSNBC New subscriber special 3 simultaneous streams | Try Sling |
| Sling Orange + Blue Best Value $55.00/ month | 45+ channels ESPN New subscriber special 4* simultaneous streams | Try Sling |
Sling TV gives you two primary options for channel packages. You can choose the $20/month Sling Orange subscription to get 30+ channels, or you can choose Sling Blue, which costs $25/month but includes 45+ channels. If you want, you can even combine both for a $40/month rate.
Sling Blue is all you really need to be concerned with if you want to watch the 2018 FIFA World Cup on the Apple TV. Sling Orange comes with ESPN and a number of other sports channels, but doesn’t have Fox Sports. Only Sling Blue has Fox Sports, so that’s the package you should choose.
At $25/month, Sling Blue is the cheapest method of watching the World Cup without cable, so this service is great if you’re on a tight budget.
Features
Sling TV is cheap for a reason—a DVR doesn’t come free with your subscription. You have to pay $5/month for a cloud DVR if you want to record FIFA World Cup matches. The DVR gives you 50 hours of space with no time restrictions or limits, which is pretty reasonable.
As far as simultaneous streaming goes, Sling Blue is actually quite good. While Sling Orange only lets you stream channels on 1 device at a time, Sling Blue lets you stream on 3 devices at once.
Sling TV is available on the App Store, but it also supports a wide range of other devices. This includes Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku, as well as all modern iOS and Android devices, as well as web browsers.
If you want to give Sling TV a shot, you can get a free week-long trial at their website now.
DirecTV Now
DirecTV Now was started as a venture from DirecTV to reclaim cord-cutters who canceled their satellite TV subscriptions. It offers a great set of channels at a reasonable price, though its features are still a bit lacking compared to the competition. DirecTV Now carries both Fox Sports and Telemundo.
Plans and channels
DirecTV Now gives you plenty of choices when it comes to channel selection. You can choose the cheapest “Live A Little” package and get plenty of top channels, or upgrade all the way to the $70/month “Gotta Have It” package for 120+ channels, including premiums like HBO.
Regardless of the package you choose, though, you’ll get Fox Sports and Telemundo, so you don’t have to worry about missing out on the World Cup by choosing the wrong package.
Features
DirecTV Now has been behind most of the competition when it comes to features for a long time. For nearly two years, there was no DVR available on the platform at all, which frustrated quite a few users.
However, DirecTV Now users can now get a 20-hour DVR for free, included in their subscriptions. It doesn’t yet work with every platform, but it’s a nice addition.
Simultaneous streams are restricted to 2 at once, but you will soon be able to add a third stream for an extra fee, according to the company.
You can download DirecTV Now on your Apple TV through the App Store to get started. Naturally, the service also supports Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku, as well as web streaming and iOS/Android devices.
You can try it out for free now with a 7-day trial to see if you’re a fan of this streaming service.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV by Google is one of the latest entrants into the world of internet TV. Backed by a huge marketing push, it’s quickly becoming a top choice for cord-cutters thanks to its simplicity, great features, and reasonable channel lineup.
Plans and channels
YouTube TV has only a single channel package available, which makes things quite simple. You pay a $40/month flat fee, which gets you around 60 channels. Note that the specific number may vary based on local affiliate relationships and several other factors.
For that price, you get a solid lineup of channels, including Fox Sports. Other sports channels include ESPN and ESPN2, as well as ESPNews and NBCSN.
Features
The features of YouTube TV are what set it apart from the competition. Let’s start with the excellent cloud-based DVR. You can record an unlimited number of shows for up to 9 months, with no other restrictions. And because you can create up to 6 user profiles, it’s easy to share the DVR.
You also get 3 simultaneous streams at no extra charge on YouTube TV, which puts it head of DirecTV, fuboTV, Sling Orange, and Hulu With Live TV without add-ons.
YouTube TV has been available on the App Store since February 2018. It also supports iOS and Android phones and tablets, as well as streaming through Google Chrome. Roku and Chromecast also support YouTube TV, though it’s currently unavailable on Amazon Fire TV due to the Google/Amazon corporate feud.
You can get a free week-long trial of the service by visiting the YouTube TV website, so you can get started risk-free.
Hulu With Live TV
Hulu With Live TV is a popular choice for cord-cutters who want to watch live TV, and are also interested in Hulu’s library of VOD content. Get the details about the channels and features off Hulu With Live TV below.
Plans and channels
Like YouTube TV, Hulu With Live TV has only a single subscription package. You get between 40-70 channels for $40/month, depending on your location.
Fox Sports is included with Hulu With Live TV, so it’s a great choice for watching the 2018 FIFA World Cup on Apple TV. You also get major ESPN channels, as well as NBCSN and some other sports networks.
A unique benefit that’s exclusive to Hulu With Live TV is that this $40/month Live subscription also includes a totally free base-tier membership to Hulu, which is an $8/month value. You can watch live TV, as well as Hulu VOD content and originals like The Handmaid’s Tale at no extra charge
Features
Hulu has pretty standard features, unless you choose to upgrade them. A free cloud DVR is included, giving you 50 hours of storage, which puts it on par with Sling TV, and makes it better than fuboTV and DirecTV Now for recording FIFA World Cup matches. You can upgrade to 200 hours of storage with the Enhanced DVR package for $15/month.
Hulu With Live TV limits you to 2 simultaneous streams, unless you get the $15/month “Unlimited Screens” package, which lets you stream on unlimited devices at home, and 3 devices outside of your home network. You can combine both of these upgrades for $20/month.
Hulu With Live TV is supported by the latest Hulu app on 4th-gen Apple TVs and later. Previous-gen Apple TVs don’t support live TV. You can also stream on Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and Chromecast, as well as iOS/Android and web browsers.
Interested? Get started with a free trial!
PlayStation Vue
PlayStation Vue suffers from bad marketing and an unfortunate name (no PlayStation is required to use it), but has great family-friendly features and plenty of top channels. It also carries Fox Sports and Telemundo in its subscription packages.
Plans and channels
Like DirecTV Now, PlayStation Vue has four channel packages:
- Access – 45 channels, $40/month
- Core – 60 channels, $45/month
- Elite – 84 channels, $55/month
- Ultra – All Elite channels plus HBO/Showtime, $75/month
Both Fox Sports and Telemundo are included with each of these packages, so you can choose the right one for you based on the total number of channels in which you’re interested.
Features
PlayStation Vue has great features, including the highest number of simultaneous streams of any streaming service on this list. Without paying an additional fee, you can stream on up to 5 devices at once, which is really great for larger families or households.
The DVR is also pretty good. You get unlimited storage for up to 500 different shows for 28 days, so you don’t really have to worry about ever running out of space to record an important FIFA match.
PlayStation Vue is available on the Apple TV. Naturally, it also works perfectly with PlayStation 3 and 4 consoles, as well as Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, iOS, Android, and most modern web browsers.
Think PlayStation Vue might be right for you? You can get a free 5-day trial of PlayStation Vue at their website now.
Fox Sports GO
If you already have a cable subscription, or you’ve subscribed to any of the internet TV services we listed above, you can download the Fox Sports GO app directly from the App Store, and watch the 2018 FIFA World Cup on the app.
Why do this? Well, if you watch the World Cup via the Fox Sports GO app, it doesn’t count towards simultaneous stream limits. For example, you could watch Fox Sports Go on the dedicated app even if two people were using your DirecTV Now subscription.
Eric Liston is a content writer based in Columbus, Ohio. Since 2015, he’s been writing about technology, cord-cutting, and helping everyday people save money. He also has expertise writing about medicine, dentistry, insurance, and a variety of other industries. No matter what he’s writing, his focus is always on simplifying complex concepts and making them approachable for everyone. When he’s not slamming away on his keyboard at his home office, you’ll find Eric reading sci-fi novels, improving his disc golf game (he just hit his first 400-foot drive) and playing video games on his gaming PC.
