By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man – @tvanswerman
TV Answer Man, it says on Peacock that Thursday’s women’s World Cup games are in 4K. Is that right? Does Peacock have live sports in 4K now? — Jose, Fairfax, Virginia.
Jose, the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup began today (July 20) with the first match, New Zealand vs. Norway, at 3 a.m. ET. (The time difference is because the tournament is being held in Australia and New Zealand.) As was the case for the Men’s World Cup, some games (29) will be on Fox network affiliates while some (35) will be on FS1. You can see a Fox TV schedule for the 64 games here.
But the games will also be available in Spanish on Telemundo, Universo and Peacock. Here’s a schedule for Telemundo/Universo/Peacock.
Peacock, the streaming service owned by NBC/Comcast, has never done live sports in 4K; it does have select TV shows and movies in the format.
However, Jose, you’re right. Peacock’s episode description for the New Zealand-Norway game does say it will be in 4K.
UPDATE: It’s Official – Peacock Showing World Cup In 4K
I asked a NBC Sports spokesman last night if the description is accurate. (A month ago, Peacock’s description for a USFL game said it would be 4K but NBC Sports told me that was a mistake.) As of 4 a.m. ET today, I have not received a response from the spokesman regarding the World Cup stream on Peacock.
But I have to say that when I looked at the Peacock broadcast of the New Zealand-Norway game this morning, and compared it to the Fox 4K feed, Peacock actually had a better picture. That doesn’t mean it’s in 4K, of course. As 4K enthusiasts know, the 4K picture quality can vary and Fox’s feed may be sub-par this morning. But the Peacock stream was sharper than normal with more vivid colors than a regular HD display.
I will update this article if I get a response from NBC Sports. Until then, take a look at Peacock and judge for yourself.
Happy viewing and stay safe!
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
@tvanswerman
