CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers available on Fanatiz, FITE and pay-per-view in new U.S. deal

Soccer fans wanting to watch the World Cup qualifiers beginning in October featuring national teams from South America’s CONMEBOL will need to pay more than ever before to watch the games.

In a deal struck earlier this year with Integrated Sports Media, the media rights holder in the United States has made the games available in both English and Spanish via online streaming sites Fanatiz and FITE as well as through traditional pay-per-view methods such as DirecTV, DISH Network and iNDemand.

The broadcasts of the games are exclusive to the above-mentioned platforms. The only exception are home matches for Venezuela that were not part of the deal. Home matches for Venezuela are likely to be available on television. So far, the first home game featuring Venezuela (against Paraguay) will be live on beIN SPORTS (which will be available to subscribers to Fanatiz’s Basic Plan).

To watch any of the World Cup qualifiers from the CONMEBOL region, the suggested pay-per-view retail price is $29.95 per game. Streaming provider FITE may offer match packages where you can access all of the games at a slightly discounted price. As well as offering each match separately, Fanatiz has created packages for each national team. You can pay per match or Fanatiz is offering the following bundles:

• Albiceleste bundle (Argentina)
• Canarinha bundle (Brazil)
• La Tri bundle (Ecuador)
• La Roja bundle (Chile)
• La Blanquirroja bundle (Perú)
• La Celeste bundle (Uruguay)

Each bundle includes two games from the national team, and is priced at $49.95 per bundle, which also includes three free months of a subscription to Fanatiz’s Basic Plan.

Fanatiz is the streaming home of Latin American soccer in the United States with live games from Copa Libertadores, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, Uruguay plus LaLiga, Ligue 1, Copa Sudamericana, Portugal and more. The reliable streaming service has been serving soccer fans since launching in 2018.

On Fanatiz, games will be available live as well as on-demand for 72 hours after each game ends.

With Fanatiz, even if you currently have a subscription to their Basic Plan, that won’t include the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying games. The CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying games are above and beyond what you currently get with Fanatiz if you already subscribe to the streaming service. Again, the only exception is that Venezuela-Paraguay game that will be available to Fanatiz subscribers via beIN SPORTS under the Basic Plan.

FITE is a new entry to the world of streaming soccer games. The streaming service specializes in boxing, wrestling, MMA and motorsports. Its coverage of the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers is their first entry into the world of streaming major soccer games. Learn more about FITE on their website.

Originally scheduled to be played in March 2020, the matches have been delayed several times due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Round 1 of the matches begin Thursday, October 8 (see schedule below). With the games being the first stage on each country’s pathway to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, these games have massive implications. Round 2 begins Tuesday, October 13, so the games are coming thick and fast.

Obviously for the vast majority of soccer fans, the prices to watch these games will come with a sticker shock. In previous years, beIN SPORTS acquired the rights to the majority of CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers. But during the past 12 to 24 months, beIN SPORTS have avoided bidding on a lot of rights that were available to them due to the amount of lost revenue they saw from people watching games illegally. With beIN SPORTS out of the picture, it allowed Integrated Sports Media to step in where their business model is based primarily on pay-per-view events.

CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers schedule

Kickoff times listed are in the Eastern United States timezone

Thursday, October 8

Paraguay vs. Peru (World Cup Qualifying), 6:30pm, Fanatiz, FITE and pay-per-view via iNDemand, DirecTV and DISH Network

Uruguay vs. Chile (World Cup Qualifying), 6:45pm, Fanatiz, FITE and pay-per-view via iNDemand, DirecTV and DISH Network

Argentina vs. Ecuador (World Cup Qualifying), 8:10pm, Fanatiz, FITE and pay-per-view via iNDemand, DirecTV and DISH Network

 

Friday, October 9

Colombia vs. Venezuela (World Cup Qualifying), 7:30pm, Fanatiz, FITE and pay-per-view via iNDemand, DirecTV and DISH Network

Brazil vs. Bolivia (World Cup Qualifying), 8:30pm, Fanatiz, FITE and pay-per-view via iNDemand, DirecTV and DISH Network

 

Tuesday, October 13

Bolivia vs. Argentina (World Cup Qualifying), 4pm, Fanatiz, FITE and pay-per-view via iNDemand, DirecTV and DISH Network

Ecuador vs. Uruguay (World Cup Qualifying), 5pm, Fanatiz, FITE and pay-per-view via iNDemand, DirecTV and DISH Network

Venezuela vs. Paraguay (World Cup Qualifying), 6pm, beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS en Español, Fanatiz, fuboTV, Sling World Sports, Sling Latino and Vidgo (free trial)

Peru vs. Brazil (World Cup Qualifying), 8pm, Fanatiz, FITE and pay-per-view via iNDemand, DirecTV and DISH Network

Chile vs. Colombia (World Cup Qualifying), 8:30pm, Fanatiz, FITE and pay-per-view via iNDemand, DirecTV and DISH Network

 

Round 3 continues in November 2020.