Audience Council praises SRF for Football World Cup

The Fifa World Cup took place in Brazil from June 12 to July 13, 2014. SRF reported on all channels before and during the World Cup about the major event and about the host country. The focus was on sports and thus also on live coverage. In addition, numerous documentary, information and entertainment programs reported on Brazil over a period of around two months.

The audience council agrees: SRF succeeded in blending pure sports coverage with information about the host country. Viewers could rely on a comprehensive service and experienced a good piece of Brazil in their own homes spread over two months. The preliminary coverage was found to be varied. The amount was just right, but reached the upper limit in the overall package.

During the sporting event, SRF was able to convince with its live programming: well-commented match broadcasts, professionally conducted discussions in the studio and exciting impressions from Brazil thanks to broadcasts to the Nati camp. No uniform judgment can be derived about the individual live commentators - the preferences in the audience council are too different. What is consistent, however, is the impression that - with the exception of Patrick Schmid - the same voices have been heard for years. Now and then, a new young face and a new voice could do sports reporting some good. The World Cup app was a source of delight. It offered an attractive service. New standards were also set in terms of picture quality. However, it was disturbing that the games on SRF info were not broadcast in HD. The question is when the switch to HD will come.

The magazine "Viva Brasil" was polarizing: Some observers found it interesting, others felt it was a gap filler between the games. The trailer and advertising overload and the conspicuously dominant Fifa presence were disturbing for all programs.