World Cup United: how satellites make football a truly global game

The World Cup is underway and all around the planet we will be using space technology to watch the action live from Brazil. Thousands of fans may enjoy the football in person, but it's estimated that over 3.2 billion of us will catch some of the live TV coverage - that's almost half the population of planet Earth. The World Cup is broadcast under what satellite operators call 'occasional use' transmission. That's the name for bandwidth allocated alongside regular broadcasting in order to cover special live events. This month is a busy time. "No matter what the technology that is used at the homes to receive the television, satellites are being used," underlines Xavier Lobao, Head of Future Telecommunications Projects at ESA.