Fox is still in talks with FIFA over how to handle the three-minute hydration breaks that will split each half of all 104 World Cup matches, while the broadcaster also plans to use halftime interviews during the tournament. Zac Kenworthy said on Thursday in New York City that the discussions were still active behind the scenes and that Fox expected more clarity in the next week or two, certainly before the tournament starts.
The broadcaster’s next move matters because Fox is the exclusive English-language broadcaster in the United States for the World Cup, putting it at the center of how American viewers will see FIFA’s new presentation ideas. Kenworthy said Fox was weighing how to use the breaks without hurting the viewing experience, while also acknowledging that FIFA controls the format and that some purists may find the changes jarring if they go ahead.
Before Kenworthy spoke, The Athletic reported that FIFA will allow broadcasters to cut away to advertisements during the hydration breaks. FIFA has said the three-minute pauses are intended to protect player welfare, and they will be used in every game, even in temperature-controlled venues. The breaks will interrupt the rhythm of every match, turning what has long been dead time into a new commercial and editorial opportunity for broadcasters.
Fox is also trying to expand its field access. FIFA has unlocked halftime interviews for broadcasters at this World Cup and will allow host-broadcaster reporters to go onto the field while players warm up. For broadcasters with a team in a specific match, a reporter will also be able to enter the center circle during a 10-minute pre-match window, and Fox wants one of its reporters there before a U.S. men’s national team match.
Kenworthy called that access a wonderful tool, saying it would let broadcasters film players warming up behind the reporter and make the audience feel closer to the action. He also said Fox was still working through how to balance those new opportunities with the need not to do a disservice to viewers, even as FIFA pushes forward with changes that will shape coverage from the first whistle to the last.
