American broadcaster Fox Sports has escaped punishment from FIFA for breaching advertising rules during the 2026 World Cup after explaining the issue as a result of confusion.
Around eight to 10 seconds of the first match were missed by viewers watching the English-language broadcast in the United States after adverts during the second-half refreshment break ran long.
Broadcasters are allowed to advertise during new three-minute stoppages, but must return to the match stream at least 30 seconds before play restarts.
Fox was up to 40 seconds off the pace during Mexico’s 2-0 win over South Africa, but is not expected to be penalized by tournament organisers, The Guardian reports.
Fox’s explanation for the missed match footage has been detailed, with the broadcaster claiming it was a result of confusion.
Mexico’s Raúl Jiménez ensured that his team collected all three points in the World Cup match against South Africa.
Each hydration break is three minutes long, giving broadcasters two minutes and 10 seconds to play, but they were told to stop play only 20 seconds after the imposed timeout started.
Fox’s flurry of World Cup-opening commercials, featuring David Beckham, actually lasted one minute and 54 seconds, causing the overlapping of the match.
The broadcaster’s mistake was reportedly due to them not realizing the hydration break was about to be called until referee Wilton Sampaio blew the whistle.
Fox’s explanation for the missed match footage was apparently enough to placate FIFA, whose position was softened by the fact that it didn’t happen in any subsequent matches.
The cost of hydration break ads has not been made public, but it is clear that they are a valuable commodity for broadcasters.
Fox Sports has undisputed coverage of the World Cup in the USA for English-language audiences, giving them a major advantage in terms of revenue.
The major problem for US broadcasters when it comes to soccer is the lack of ad slots, but FIFA’s decision to divide each contest into quarters has opened up a new avenue of revenue.
FIFA is trying to innovate and is intrigued by the American market, according to Zac Kenworthy, vice president of production at Fox Sports.
Fox will directly benefit from the new surprise, with a 30-second ad slot potentially costing $200,000 in a typical group game and up to $750,000 if the U.S. men’s national team is in action.
The cost of hydration break ads is a major factor in broadcasters showing every ad slot sold at the expense of eight seconds of actual gameplay.
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