Any Opinions on World Cup Viewership?

[landtuna]

Here in Phoenix Fox10 has been blitzing the airwaves with ads about the upcoming World Cup (of soccer, in case you don't follow sports). While soccer is indeed the world's most popular sport the USA did not make the cut this year. This fact has not (to my knowledge) been made public by Fox10.

For those markets with a large ethnic population which does follow soccer viewership might be substantial within that community. With the USA out of it I don't see most Americans caring....unless they are true followers of the sport.

Any estimates of viewership pre-tournament? Does Fox take a bath on the World Cup?

 

[CTListener]

I can't see any other outcome. Fox knew months ago that the US wouldn't be in the Cup (along with a nation with strong ethnic support, Italy), but it couldn't lower the rates it would charge advertisers because it still has to cover what it paid FIFA for the rights. I wonder if Fox promised advertisers a minimum rating, and if so, did the minimum differ depending on the matchup and significance of the game? Failure on that front would mean refunds or make-goods.

 

[umfan]

It'll be low in most markets with no US team, but Phoenix, with a large Mexican-American, or just plain Mexican audience will likely see a lot more viewers, hence the promotion.

 

[CTListener]

It'll be low in most markets with no US team, but Phoenix, with a large Mexican-American, or just plain Mexican audience will likely see a lot more viewers, hence the promotion.

But many will be watching on NBCUniversal's Telemundo, which won the Spanish-language rights for the US. You think the Fox brain trust might be wishing they'd gotten serious about a Fox Deportes bid?

 

[davideduardo]

It'll be low in most markets with no US team, but Phoenix, with a large Mexican-American, or just plain Mexican audience will likely see a lot more viewers, hence the promotion.

Even bilingual Hispanics who like soccer will usually prefer the narration in Spanish over the dull English language play by play.

 

[CTListener]

Even bilingual Hispanics who like soccer will usually prefer the narration in Spanish over the dull English language play by play.

I was reading elsewhere that Fox plans to use high-energy, but not particularly futbol-literate, American announcers for the WC, ditching most of the Englishmen that ESPN preferred to use. Also, only two sets of announcers will actually be in Russia. Most games will be called from a studio here in the US by announcers watching TV.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

https://news.****************/cgi-bin/rol.exe/headline_id=n35591

Now Fox Sports is also including a radio simulcast on SiriusXM

FOX Sports, the English-language home of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, is making this global event available on SiriusXM. The satcaster will offer its subscribers live access to FOX Sports' broadcasts of all 64 matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, from the opening match on June 14 through the Final on July 15. Listeners will hear FOX's lead broadcast team of John Strong and Stu Holden, as well as Tony Meola, Cobi Jones, Aly Wagner, Mariano Trujillo, Warren Barton, Glenn Davis, JP Dellacamera, Derek Rae, Jorge Perez Navarro and Mark Followill during game broadcasts.

 

[CTListener]

https://news.****************/cgi-bin/rol.exe/headline_id=n35591

Now Fox Sports is also including a radio simulcast on SiriusXM

Continuing programming provided by ESPN in previous World Cups. SiriusXM has a good relationship with Fox, just as it has with ESPN, so this deal is no surprise. Being TV audio on radio, there'll probably be frustrating stretches in which the announcers are telling stories or giving background information instead of describing the action that TV viewers can readily see, along with instant replay moments during which the announcers say things like "Watch what Messi does here!" and "Was Kane offside? Let's take a look," while the radio audience wants to punch a hole in the speakers. But I guess to fans, TV audio beats no audio at all.

 

[KeithE4]

I won't be shocked if Fox goes heavy on its self-promotion of its NFL and college football coverage (you know, real football. ) all during its World Cup broadcasts.

 

[landtuna]

I won't be shocked if Fox goes heavy on its self-promotion of its NFL and college football coverage (you know, real football. ) all during its World Cup broadcasts.

Fox will be surprised and disappointed to find that FIFA does not allow any commercial breaks during games. Maybe they'll go "side-to-side" ala NASCAR.

 

[KeithE4]

Fox will be surprised and disappointed to find that FIFA does not allow any commercial breaks during games. Maybe they'll go "side-to-side" ala NASCAR.

Side by side or a crawl at the bottom of the screen. I'm sure Fox has this figured out already, since soccer doesn't stop the clock in most cases (other than injury?).

 

[landtuna]

I'm sure Fox has this figured out already, since soccer doesn't stop the clock in most cases (other than injury?).

The clock is never stopped in soccer but time can be added at the end of the first half or end of the game to compensate for injury time. Problem is, no one but the referee keeps the time so you never know exactly when the game will end.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

https://deadline.com/2018/06/robbie-williams-world-cup-middle-finger-live-tv-1202410825/

Update on Fox coverage of the World Cup.

 

[blackgold]

I prefer watching Spanish coverage with Andres Cantor on Telemundo 60 in Boston.

 

[landtuna]

I've found that Spanish or British announcers interfere with my nap.

 

[davideduardo]

The clock is never stopped in soccer but time can be added at the end of the first half or end of the game to compensate for injury time. Problem is, no one but the referee keeps the time so you never know exactly when the game will end.

Actually, the extra minutes (always in one minute increments) is announced at the end of the 45 minute and 90 minute play marks. Play continues without stoppage into the extra minutes.

The rule is, "To account for this and prevent a team from protecting a lead by running the clock down during these stoppages of play, soccer has stoppage time. A round number of added minutes, usually between one and six, is announced shortly before the 45- and 90-minute mark in the first and second halves"

 

[davideduardo]

Fox will be surprised and disappointed to find that FIFA does not allow any commercial breaks during games. Maybe they'll go "side-to-side" ala NASCAR.

There are no commercial breaks, but "liner" style ads are inserted constantly into play-by-play on radio. On TV, the ads may be audio only, bugs, crawls or other video devices.

Advertisers in soccer-playing nations have no problem buying sponsorships; in the US they just have not learned how to perfect their skills in this area since the major sports have lots of interruptions with US rules football having the most non-play minutes per game, followed closely by baseball. Football seems designed for advertisers and not for fans.

 

[CTListener]

Actually, the extra minutes (always in one minute increments) is announced at the end of the 45 minute and 90 minute play marks. Play continues without stoppage into the extra minutes.

The rule is, "To account for this and prevent a team from protecting a lead by running the clock down during these stoppages of play, soccer has stoppage time. A round number of added minutes, usually between one and six, is announced shortly before the 45- and 90-minute mark in the first and second halves"

Note that it's "a round number." TV puts the added time in the score box in the corner of the screen, but even if the clock is ticking from 90:00 to 93:00 to account for 3 minutes of added time, one seldom hears the whistle at the 93:00 mark, even if play has been free-flowing throughout. I may be wrong on this, but I don't think I've ever heard the whistle blow to end a half or game when the ball is being contested in the penalty area. If there's a last-second corner taken, the ref always seems to wait until the play is resolved -- either with the defense winning possession or the goalkeeper clearing the ball out toward midfield -- before signaling that time has expired. And if a goal is scored in such a situation, there has to be a kickoff at midfield before the whistle blows.

In the Premier League, Manchester United under manager Alex Ferguson was so notorious for scoring winning or tying goals long after time (as shown on the clock) should have expired that such goals were said to have been scored in "Fergie time." I suppose this is all part of the charm of the "beautiful game," but I think it keeps the game for gaining wider acceptance with American fans used to games that actually end when the clock reads 0:00. Soccer's way of doing things resembles a boxing timekeeper adding seconds to a round when the hometown fighter has his opponent in trouble.

 

[Megatron]

Ratings will be bad for the World Cup I'll watch some of it but since the USA isn't in it I may not watch as much of The World Cup.

 

[davideduardo]

I suppose this is all part of the charm of the "beautiful game," but I think it keeps the game for gaining wider acceptance with American fans used to games that actually end when the clock reads 0:00. Soccer's way of doing things resembles a boxing timekeeper adding seconds to a round when the hometown fighter has his opponent in trouble.

Actually, us fans understand that the time tacked on the end prevents time being wasted on happenings within the game that stop play. What would have been a time-out turns into a time added, and the play never stops. Part of the thrill of the game is seeing teams run nearly without stopping for 45 to 50 minutes!

Just as an example of how we see the game, I find, in contrast, US football to be enormously boring because they play for a few seconds and then stop, play a few more seconds, stop again, play a little and then there is a commercial break. In a good match in soccer, there is not even time to hit the loo!