iWorld
GOAL! FIFA+ scores historic win with massive expansion into connected TV & FAST channels
Mumbai: This year FIFA+ will be available on five new connected TV apps: Samsung TV, LG, VIDAA, Amazon Fire, and Android TV, and five new FAST channel platforms: Samsung TV Plus, LG Channels, VIDAA Channels, The Roku Channel and Rakuten TV. This announcement is a landmark development as now more fans around the globe will enjoy the immersive and original content offered by FIFA+.
With a wide range of Originals, live broadcasts, and an extensive archive, FIFA+ has become a global hub for the beautiful game, and now, with this association the platform will be on the home screens of millions globally as the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 continues. Content from the tournament is available across the platform – including interviews, highlights, full match replays after 24 hours in select territories, and more – while more than 50 countries including Brazil, Japan and The Netherlands can enjoy live broadcasts of the matches.
“We are excited to bring FIFA+ to fans through these connected TV apps and FAST channel platforms, extending our reach and making football more accessible to a wider audience,” said FIFA’s director of strategy, digital and FIFA+ Charlotte Burr. “Our goal is to connect fans from every corner of the world and provide them with unrivalled access to the sport they love. This expansion is a significant step towards achieving that vision and bringing the beautiful game to everyone. Every innovation we make is rooted in growing the game, and we want to thank all the CTV and FAST platforms for their support in making this happen. FIFA is committed to using digital platforms to create an inclusive and immersive football experience for all.”
This announcement follows FIFA+’s incredible first year, which saw unprecedented growth and engagement. The platform welcomed 211 million unique users for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, alongside a staggering 190 million views on match recaps, captivating fans with expertly curated highlights. The entire FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 archive was released on the platform earlier this month, alongside a ground-breaking women’s football documentary, All Roads Lead Down Under – one of FIFA+’s most ambitious Original storytelling projects yet.
iWorld
WhatsApp may soon let users to pick who sees their status updates
The messaging giant is borrowing a page from Instagram’s playbook as it pushes to give users finer control over their social circles.
CALIFORNIA: WhatsApp is quietly working on a feature that could make its Status function considerably smarter and considerably more private.
According to reports from beta tracking platforms, the app is testing a tool called Status lists, which would allow users to create named groups such as close friends, family and colleagues, and control precisely which group sees each update. It is a meaningful step up from the platform’s current blunt instruments, which offer only three options: share with all contacts, exclude specific people, or manually select individuals each time.
The new feature draws an obvious comparison with Instagram’s Close Friends function, and the resemblance is unlikely to be accidental. Both platforms sit within Meta’s family, and the company has been nudging them toward a common logic of audience segmentation for some time.
The move also fits neatly into WhatsApp’s broader privacy push. The platform has been rolling out enhanced chat protections and is exploring the introduction of usernames, which would allow users to connect without exchanging phone numbers. Status lists extend that philosophy from messaging into broadcasting.
Meanwhile, Status itself has been evolving well beyond its origins as a simple photo-and-text slideshow. The feature now supports music stickers, collages, longer videos and interactive elements, pushing it closer to the social-media-style story format pioneered by Snapchat and refined by Instagram. In that context, finer audience controls are not merely a privacy feature. They are a precondition for people sharing more.
The feature remains in development and has not been confirmed for release. WhatsApp routinely tests tools that are later modified or quietly shelved. But the direction of travel is clear: the app wants Status to be a destination, not an afterthought. Letting users decide exactly who is in the audience is how it gets there.
