The different time zones and kick off times in the 2026 World Cup made it a lot harder for many countries’ fans to watch their team live without staying up through the night or getting up in the middle of the night to cheer them on.
For football fans who follow leagues outside of their own country, deciding between watching games live, delayed or catching the highlights, is a regular dilemma they have to face. Many soccer fans in South Africa watch English Premier League matches and Champions League games, as well as La Liga and other foreign leagues.
The time difference between South Africa and most of Europe is minimal, so there are not usually many challenges caused by the time difference but following multiple leagues and teams can be very time consuming, so fans often have to decide which games they want to watch live. Fitting in live games even just for one team can take up several hours in a week, particularly where there are three games scheduled in 8 or 9 days, so fitting in additional live games might not be realistic.
One of the key factors that will determine whether to watch a game live, delayed or as highlights is the available broadcasting options. In lots of cases, fans might not have the option of watching a game live as it has not been chosen for TV broadcasting.
Prioritizing the Most Important Games for Live Watching
Watching games live is the most exciting way to watch a game and for fans who also enjoy soccer betting in South Africa, following bets during play adds another level of anticipation.
Fans will also want to ensure that they watch the most important and popular games live, rather than risking finding out the score before they get the chance to watch it later on. There is nothing worse than looking forward to watching a full game on delayed catchup but then you accidentally find out the score on social media or by someone telling you.
This is why many fans prioritize watching title-critical games, finals, knockout matches in the Champions League and relegation-impacting games live. The big derby matches like El Clasico and the Manchester Derby will be top priorities to catch live, as there will be lots of news coverage and discussions about these games that could spoil the fun before watching delayed broadcasts.
The Next Best Thing: Watching on Delayed Broadcasts
When matches are being played during hours where fans are usually asleep or are working, watching a delayed broadcast can mean that they still enjoy the thrill of not knowing the score, as long as there are no spoilers. Many streaming channels now offer ‘no spoiler’ options so the score is not displayed on the screen, so fans can have the same experience as watching live.
If work or family commitments, disruption to sleep or another priority prevents fans from being able to catch an important game live, watching the game a few hours later and avoiding seeing the results is a practical option.
Even if you do find out the score, watching the full game at a later date or time ensures that you see all of the action and not just snippets in the highlights. Match highlights do not always show the full picture, as only the flashpoints like goals tend to be shown. If fans want to see the run of play to see which team deserved to win, whether luck was a contributing factor or if bad tactical decisions were made, they can save watching the full game for a night when they have a free schedule.
For bettors, simply watching the highlights won’t provide insights to support their future betting choices. Highlights don’t allow you to gauge the form of a player, for example, and many serious bettors will want to gain an advantage by watching full games of the the teams that they regularly bet on.
Social Media Drives Game Selection for Highlights
Soccer fans will usually choose to watch highlights of teams that they do not passionately follow. They might use lunch breaks to watch highlights of games involving rival teams or games where there have been big talking points on social media, such as a controversial decision or a goal that has been hyped up.
Rather than working your way through highlights of all the games in the league that your team plays in, you can see which games are trending on social media to pick the most exciting games.
Watching highlights can also fill up time when commuting to work or when you have a short period of spare time, without requiring two or more hours to watch a full match. However, die-hard fans will usually do everything they can to watch the game live or at least watch the full game at a delayed time.
