Fox Sports’ ability to eventize has consistently been excellent since its inception — from John Madden on Day 1 to decades with Joe Buck to today with Tom Brady. It has leaned in on Hall of Fame names on air matched with strong production to form a winning combination on Super Bowls and World Series.
However, on the World Cup, Fox has never fully hit.
It failed to resonate in 2018 or 2022. And now, beginning this week, it is up again.
Compared to how ESPN used to present the World Cup, what NBC created with the Premier League and the quality of CBS’ Champions League coverage, Fox has been in the unfamiliar position of looking up at its competitors.
In what may very well be its final World Cup, Fox Sports president Brad Zager impressed in the TV equivalent of the “transfer window,” borrowing on loan two sure things with NBC Premier League host Rebecca Lowe and CBS Champions League analyst Thierry Henry, before taking his biggest swing by importing Zlatan Ibrahimović to headline a top studio team that still also includes the abrasive Alexi Lalas.
When you combine Ibrahimović’s all-time playing career with his self-assured personality, he has Charles Barkley-like potential. That said, if he just leans on his talking about himself in the third person schtick for five-plus weeks, it may become stale quickly.
To borrow a Zlatanism, Fox needs to use Ibrahimović like a Ferrari, not a Fiat. And Zlatan needs to do what he does, which, in this case, means putting his points in the back of the net.
In part, it will come down to the tactics Zager and Fox use during the tournament. Fox has too often tried to go outside-in with its approach, catering to the casual American fan rather than the true, earnest viewer who cares about Christian Pulisic and company but also knows the other 47 countries and their top players.
If there is an hour-long pregame on a Wednesday featuring two non-US teams, there is no reason for a random feature on an American. Who is tuning in for the set-up for the match? Hopefully, Fox has learned from its past World Cups.
What Fox has done well with college football and the NFL is turning small, medium-sized and iconic on-field performers into TV stars. On college football, it is Joel Klatt — a relative unknown as a player who has become one of the most talented TV analysts in the sport. On the NFL, it was first Greg Olsen and then Tom Brady. But they were analyzing games, moment to moment; Ibrahimović will be in studio, which is more akin to soccer’s set pieces, allowing for more planned comments in the pre-, half- and post-game shows.
To stand out, Ibrahimović must detail nuances about what is going on in the matches. Yes, he can have fun and declare he would have scored every missed chance, but he must also consistently tell us why something happened and what to expect next. His brashness with a wink is a fun part of the package, but insight and candor are what make the best analysts.
It took Brady a while to transition from an average first year to a really enjoyable listen in his second. Ibrahimović will have to develop, learn and adapt faster. But, as he might say, he’s Zlatan, so, of course, expectations are high.
For too long, Fox’s studio has run through Lalas. Lalas was a very good U.S. player, but not an all-timer. As an analyst, he often tries to come across as another Barkley, but he really sounds like the Skip Bayless of soccer.
Lalas has failed on likeability, which could make the dynamic with Ibrahimović’ and Henry intriguing or combustible. Will they play nice? Will Zlatan respect Lalas? Will they fight for time? Whatever the case, the shows ultimately need to be smarter than they have been in the past.
That is where the old ESPN World Cup approach led by Bob Ley and the current NBC and CBS soccer models will hopefully find their way onto Fox’s screens.
Pete Radovich, who heads up CBS/Paramount’s Champions League coverage, tells his international analyst that if you would say it in your home country, then do the same to the U.S. audience. It is the correct approach.
The American audience is sophisticated in its knowledge about the players and leagues around the world. The folks who will care most about World Cup coverage have been streaming the Premier League, Champions League and any league they want from around the globe for many years.
Like Ley in his prime, what Lowe does best is effortlessly and smartly lead discussions in the right direction, putting her partners and viewers at ease. It is a skill that will be welcomed during the World Cup, and Lowe is the X-factor in making the Zlatan-Henry-Lalas dynamic work.
Fox will also try to lean into its success with its college football “Big Noon Kickoff” pregame show by having host Rob Stone and a crew outside of stadiums before big games.
On Fox’s game broadcasts, John Strong is serviceable as the No. 1 play-by-player. While there is always discussion about when the United States will have a global star at the all-time Messi-like level, it is fair to ask when an American-born broadcaster will reach the skill of their English-born counterparts, like Ian Darke, who will lead Fox’s No. 2 team, paired with Landon Donovan. There has never been a Marv Albert of American soccer. (Telemundo, which has the Spanish-language U.S. broadcasts, has Andrés Cantor, who with his signature “Gooooool!” is more Albert-like for its audience.)
On the game analyst side, Fox’s No. 1, Stu Holden, is very good tactically and is willing to offer opinions. Holden stands just behind Apple’s Taylor Twellman as the best in the States.
While the big names and potentially improved top studio will likely determine the feel, Fox has added more international depth, like all-time Mexican scorer Javier “Chicharito” Hernández. In theory, this should allow its production to sound and feel even more authentic.
On the Super Bowl or the World Series, Fox can always be counted on to produce. Everyone has different opinions about which announcers or production they may favor. But Fox consistently has given viewers a top-level option.
This World Cup could be Fox’s last, as the 2030 edition has not yet been auctioned off. The NFL wants more money from its established partners like Fox, and well-capitalized streaming competitors like Netflix, Prime Video, Apple, along with the traditional platforms, could outspend Fox for 2030 Cup rights in the U.S.
Fox did well in the transfer window. Landing Lowe, Henry, and Ibrahimović was a coup for Zager as Fox’s “sporting director.”
But like any big signing for a club, it has to work on the pitch or, in this case, the screen.
