Zac Kenworthy Sets World Cup Fantasy Football Broadcast Plan
Fox Sports is moving toward half-time interviews at the World Cup while world cup fantasy football viewers wait for a decision on how the three-minute hydration breaks will be used. Zac Kenworthy said the broadcaster intends to use the new access and is still talking with FIFA about the breaks before the tournament starts.
Zac Kenworthy and Fox access
Kenworthy, Fox Sports' vice-president of production, said the network intends to use half-time interviews during the tournament. He added that Fox remains in conversations with FIFA about how to handle the hydration breaks, which are set to split up each half of all 104 World Cup matches.
Fox is the exclusive English-language broadcaster in the U.S. for the World Cup, so the access changes land directly on every match the American audience sees. FIFA has already unlocked half-time interviews for broadcasters at this World Cup, and host broadcaster reporters will be granted a window to be on the field while players warm up.
FIFA hydration breaks
The break format is new enough that Kenworthy described the likely reaction plainly: “Obviously it’s new, so it’s always going to be to the purist a bit jarring if that indeed does happen.” FIFA says the three-minute pauses are driven by player welfare, and they will happen in every game, even in temperature-controlled venues.
That leaves a business and production question in the middle of the tournament plan. The Athletic previously reported that FIFA will allow broadcasters to cut away to advertisements during the hydration breaks, and Kenworthy said Fox expects news on the issue in the next week or two, before the tournament starts.
Pre-match field window
Fox is also getting a 10-minute pre-match window for matches involving its own team. In that span, Kenworthy said the network will be able to send one reporter into the center circle on the pitch, adding another layer of live access to a broadcast package that already includes half-time interviews and in-game break possibilities.
The practical effect is straightforward for viewers: the U.S. telecast is set to look different from the standard World Cup feed, with more on-field access and a new decision still hanging over how those three-minute breaks are handled. Kenworthy said the answers should arrive soon enough to settle the broadcast plan before the first ball is kicked.
