BBC iPlayer will show the World Cup in 4K HDR, but there's a Dolby Atmos catch

FIFA World Cup trophy on the pitch
(Image credit: Getty Images / Stefan Matzke - sampics)

The big kick-off is upon us and there’s great news for anyone who has shelled out for one of the best 4K TVs ahead of the World Cup.

The BBC has confirmed that it will be broadcasting all 33 of the Qatar 2022 matches it has the rights to show in both 4K and HDR.

As with the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the broadcaster’s 4K coverage will be limited to its iPlayer streaming service, with live broadcasts on its BBC1, BBC2 and BBC Three restricted to 1080p resolution.

The iPlayer streams will be utilising the HLG (Hybrid-Log Gamma) format for HDR. This means you’ll need HLG support on your TV to watch matches with vibrant High dynamic range colour – a feature that appears on nearly all 4K TVs since 2018.

"Fans can watch the vast majority of the BBC’s games live in superb Ultra High Definition and High Dynamic Range to enjoy the best picture quality possible – all they’ll need is a compatible UHD TV and a high-speed internet connection," a BBC press release confirming the news stated.

The one downside to the BBC’s announcement is that while FIFA will be producing live match footage with Dolby Atmos and MPEG-H 3D audio, the BBC won’t be carrying either of the object-based sound formats in its streams, with the iPlayer streams restricted to just stereo audio. Some of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars will upmix from stereo to recreate a bigger sound, but it's not the same as getting a real Dolby Atmos mix, sadly.

The BBC’s announcement comes after Italy’s RAI, Fox Sports in the US and JioCinema  in India all confirmed they too would be showing World Cup matches in 4K – follow our guide on how to watch World Cup 2022 wherever you are here

FIFA World Cup sign in Qatar

(Image credit: Getty Images / GIUSEPPE CACACE)

Analysis: 4K HDR streams are sign of the future, but are the catches too much?

Big sporting events like the Olympics and the World Cup are often the place where we see broadcasters begin to adopt new advancements – the wide introduction globally of HD broadcasts during the 2006 World Cup in Germany being a prime example. 

While no massive surprise – iPlayer live streams are very rarely offered in anything but stereo – it still comes as a bit of a disappointment that the BBC hasn’t gone a step further with its streaming coverage of Qatar 2022 and incorporated the 3D audio that FIFA is set to make available.

UK viewers will at least be able to watch Neymar’s flick and tricks in Doha in the finer detail that 4K and HDR allows, but there’s a pay-off for that extra fidelity that some footy fans won’t be able to live with.

If the previous World Cup is anything to go by, opting to watch a match in 4K via iPlayer streaming will likely mean there’s a delay of at least 30 seconds over watching via traditional linear TV – which could spoil the moment when your noisy neighbours are celebrating those vital goals going in before you’ve even seen the ball hit the back of the net.

Looking for a big screen 4K HDR TV before the big kick-off – check out the best early Black Friday TV deals here.

TOPICS
Kevin Lynch

Kevin Lynch is a London-born, Dublin-based writer and journalist. The author of Steve Jobs: A Biographic Portrait, Kevin is a regular feature writer for a number of tech sites and the former Technology Editor for the Daily Mirror. He has also served as editor of GuinnessWorldRecords.com and has been a member of the judging panel for the BAFTA British Academy Video Game Awards. Alongside reviewing the latest AV gear, smartphones and computers, Kevin also specialises in music tech and can often be found putting the latest DAWs, MIDI controllers and guitar modellers through their paces. Born within the sound of Bow Bells, Kevin is also a lifelong West Ham fan for his troubles.

Read more
Best TVs for sports hero image 2024 with Samsung Qn90D on blue background
The best TVs for sport for 2025 for all budgets
UEFA Champions League trophy
How to watch Champions League 2024/25: live stream options, TV channels and key dates, last 16 second legs
Dolby Home lifestyle image
HDR10+ vs Dolby Vision: Which HDR format is best?
Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid celebrates after scoring a goal during the Spanish Super Cup semi-final to secure a place in Sunday's Barcelona vs Real Madrid Supercopa final 2025
Real Madrid vs Barcelona live stream: how to watch today’s Spanish Supercopa final online, team news
Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs. warms up for the NFL 2024/25 season
How to watch NFL 2024: free live streams and TV channels, Week 18 preview
West Ham players celebrate a goal against Bournemouth in the Premier League
West Ham vs Brighton live stream: how to watch Premier League online, TV channels, broadcasters, team news
Latest in BBC iPlayer
The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Joy (Nicola Coughlan) explore ancient ruins in the Doctor Who 2024 Christmas Special
New Doctor Who Christmas Special trailer teases a full festive time travelling adventure and I can't wait
Jamie Dornan in The Tourist
BBC renews four critically-acclaimed dramas as it lays out plans for 2023
BBC iPlayer logo
How to watch BBC iPlayer from abroad
Killing Eve
BBC drops Killing Eve season 3 trailer – and an April release date
Netflix and Spotify are snapping up the iPlayer's younger audience says the BBC
BBC iPlayer to be 're-invented' by 2020
Latest in News
Ai tech, businessman show virtual graphic Global Internet connect Chatgpt Chat with AI, Artificial Intelligence.
Nation-state threats are targeting UK AI research
An AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT made by Sapphire on a table with its retail packaging
Want to buy an RX 9070 or 9070 XT but fed up of the GPUs being out of stock? AMD promises that “more supply is coming ASAP”
iOS 18 Control Center
iOS 19: the 3 biggest rumors so far, and what I want to see
Doom: The Dark Ages
Doom: The Dark Ages' director confirms DLC is in the works and says the game won't end the way 2016's Doom begins: 'If we took it all the way to that point, then that would mean that we couldn't tell any more medieval stories'
DVDs in a pile
Warner Bros is replacing some DVDs that ‘rot’ and become unwatchable – but there’s a big catch that undermines the value of physical media
A costumed Matt Murdock smiles at someone off-camera in Netflix's Daredevil TV show
Daredevil: Born Again is Disney+'s biggest series of 2025 so far, but another Marvel TV show has performed even better