Updated
Updated · MMA Junkie · Jul 20
Dana White Blasts World Cup Final Broadcast After 1-0 Match for Celebrity Misidentifications
Updated
Updated · MMA Junkie · Jul 20

Dana White Blasts World Cup Final Broadcast After 1-0 Match for Celebrity Misidentifications

3 articles · Updated · MMA Junkie · Jul 20

Summary

  • Dana White said the World Cup final production team was even worse than UFC's after Spain's 1-0 win over Argentina, mocking repeated celebrity-identification errors on his Instagram Story.
  • BBC coverage mislabeled Pharrell Williams as A$AP Rocky and briefly called him "AKA Rocky," while White also faulted the broadcast for showing celebrities without graphics and botching a flyover.
  • White framed the rant against UFC's own recent on-air mistakes, including Terence Crawford being mistaken for Kendrick Lamar and Shakur Stevenson for NBA player Jalen Williams.
  • The outburst extends a running embarrassment over live sports celebrity graphics, with White sarcastically conceding FIFA's crew had overtaken UFC as the "worst production team" in that category.

Insights

With unprecedented broadcast technology, why did the World Cup final suffer from such basic production errors?
After public criticism of its production, will FIFA change its broadcast strategy for future tournaments?