Fox Sports plans to bring a staff of 150 to Qatar this fall to facilitate its coverage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, including approximately 30 on-air personalities. “It’s a little army that we’re taking over,” said Exec Producer David Neal.
He proclaimed that the company will be the first in U.S. television history to have commentators in the stadium for all 64 matches, as opposed to having announcers call some games remotely.
Neal spoke exclusively to SBJ on Friday, the 100-day mark until the start of the tournament.
One key factor enabling Fox to be on site for every match is the compact footprint of the tournament relative to other World Cups.
In Qatar, all Fox personnel will be in the same hotel, and those traveling to cover games will be able to return to the centrally located hotel afterward.
The farthest venue, Neal said, is approximately 90 minutes away.
It’s a massive shift from 2018, when Fox had to cover games all over Russia.
STUDIO SESSIONS : France-based HBS will produce a “world feed” for all of FIFA’s rightsholders in order to ensure a standardized presentation of the matches.
As a result, Fox’s biggest differentiator from other networks covering the event will be its studio coverage.
Neal touted the aesthetic appeal of the network’s set location at the Doha Corniche, a waterfront promenade offering views of the city skyline.
Data visualization will be a feature of Fox’s coverage, taking advantage of what Neal said would “probably be the single highest concentration of LEDs in any one location for those four weeks.” Despite concerns about the tournament being played during a crowded time on the sports calendar, Neal believes the move to November and December will actually help viewership in the U.S. "In the winter, there's a lot more available eyeballs,” Neal said. “There's a lot more people watching television than in June or July.” World Cup matches will air in the morning in the U.S., before the NFL and college football kick off, and Fox will promote its World Cup coverage during American football games.
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SBJ I Factor presented by Allied Sports features an interview with Kate Johnson, a sports industry veteran who is Google’s director of global sports, media and entertainment marketing.
Johnson is also experienced in brand marketing and the agency side of the industry.
She was a member of the 2017 class of SBJ’s Forty Under 40.
Johnson, an Olympic medalist in crew, talks with SBJ’s Abe Madkour about what she learned from competing in sports both from a young age and at a high level; how her sports background influenced the way she approached her cancer diagnosis; and her most important advice for young people who want to advance in their career.
SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards, such as Forty Under 40, Game Changers and others.
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