Fox Misses World Cup Restart With Late Ad as FIFA’s 22-Minute Hydration Break Opens New TV Window
Updated
Updated · Los Angeles Times · Jun 16
Fox Misses World Cup Restart With Late Ad as FIFA’s 22-Minute Hydration Break Opens New TV Window
3 articles · Updated · Los Angeles Times · Jun 16
Summary
Fox drew backlash after a full-screen commercial during the Mexico-South Africa match ran past the hydration break, leaving players stalling and viewers missing the restart.
The error stemmed from FIFA’s new break around the 22-minute mark of each half; a replay and confusion over when the three-minute pause began caused Fox to return late.
FIFA’s rules let broadcasters leave 20 seconds after the signal and return 30 seconds before play, creating an ad slot of up to 2 minutes 10 seconds; FIFA chose not to punish Fox.
Telemundo handled the same break with players and commentary still on screen plus a corner ad, winning praise from fans who said Fox’s approach felt over-commercialized.
The dispute has sharpened criticism of a player-safety rule FIFA introduced in December, while raising stakes for Fox as it uses the tournament to promote its $19.99-a-month Fox One service.