As has been long rumored, the 2022 World Cup will take place during the winter. In other news, Major League Baseball has scheduled all games on the final day of the season for the same time, and Stanley Cup playoff games will air on USA Network.
FIFA: 2022 World Cup (November/December 2022)
- FIFA announced Friday that the 2022 World Cup take place in November and December of 2022, with the final scheduled for December 18. The decision to hold the tournament so late in the year, necessitated by the intense summer heat in host nation Qatar, will put the World Cup in competition with the NFL in the United States. It should be noted that Fox Sports’ potential dissatisfaction with the schedule, and the possibility of accompanying legal action, was the primary reason why FIFA gave Fox Sports and Telemundo an additional cycle of World Cup rights earlier this year. (FIFA, nytimes.com)
MLB: “Game 162” (3 PM, October 4)
- Major League Baseball has scheduled every game on October 4 — the final day of the season — for 3:00 PM ET, The Los Angeles Times reported last week. The move, reminiscent of the English Premier League’s Championship Sunday, is intended to provide extra drama if there are any playoff berths or pennant races still on the line. (Los Angeles Times)
NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs (USA Network)
- USA Network will air NHL Stanley Cup playoff games this year, NBC Sports confirmed to Awful Announcing last week. USA, part of NBC Universal, has not aired NHL games since the 1980s. Specific scheduling details were not immediately available, but the network will join the existing rotation of NBC, NBCSN, CNBC and NHL Network. (Awful Announcing)
