World Cup may over, but Fox CEO backs hydration breaks
The World Cup may over on the field, but Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks says hydration breaks could return. He argues the mid-match pauses helped keep games closer, gave players and coaches time to reset, and formed part of Fox's high-stakes TV playbook during a blockbuster tournament.
Key Takeaways
- Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks says World Cup-style hydration breaks, which also create commercial windows, have likely been positive for the game.
- Fox's Spain-Argentina final drew 38.9 million viewers; Telemundo estimated 23.9 million for its Spanish-language telecast.
- An Argentina-England semifinal averaged 15.063 million on Fox, the most-watched FIFA Men's World Cup semifinal in English-language history.
- Total World Cup ad spending hit $666.3 million, with $500.1 million on TV and $166.2 million on streaming, per Guideline.
- Fox is also weighing carryover ideas, including James Corden's soccer late-night show on other events, as 2030 rights bidding heats up.
The tournament wrapped over the weekend, yet the TV industry is still sorting what stuck. Fox Sports pulled huge crowds even after the U.S. and Mexico exited well before the late rounds, a result Shanks links to something bigger than the competition alone.
According to Variety, interest turned matches into bar-and-living-room gatherings that felt more like a socio-cultural event than anyone expected. For more coverage like this, see our Streaming & TV Alerts hub.
Why does Eric Shanks want hydration breaks to return?
During matches, Fox used so-called hydration breaks that let players drink and rethink the state of play. Some fans bristled because the pauses come with commercials. Shanks makes no apologies for the experiment.
He says the breaks made games more close, with fewer blowouts, and gave coaches room to discuss strategy. "It has probably been a positive for the game," he told Variety, framing the pauses as a competitive edge as much as a TV one.
How large were Fox's World Cup audiences?
Fox said the Spain-Argentina final drew 38.9 million viewers. Telemundo, which holds Spanish-language rights, estimated 23.9 million for its telecast. An Argentina-England game averaged 15.063 million on Fox, while Spain-France averaged 11.462 million.
Michael Mulvihill, Fox Sports president of insights and analytics, put consumption at over 100 billion minutes—on a scale he compared to an Olympics or a full NFL package. Those numbers help explain why every on-air tweak, including hydration breaks, carries millions of dollars in ad risk and reward.
What other Fox experiments could outlast the World Cup?
After most days of play, Fox aired a bespoke late-night soccer show led by James Corden. Shanks called it what late-night should be and said he would love to try the format with Corden on other events, pairing it with Fox News Channel's Greg Gutfeld program in the broader night.
Fox also gave its play-by-play team more freedom than usual for such a high-stakes telecast. Strong reaction to analyst Alexei Lalas—criticism included—was welcome to Shanks, who said the worst outcome is airing something nobody cares about.
Looking ahead, ESPN has signaled interest in 2030 rights, and Shanks warns time zones will be harder without a U.S. host. Fox saw IndyCar and MLB spikes during the Cup, but lasting soccer growth, he says, needs more than a spark: FIFA lit the fuse, and now the industry has to capitalize.