As the American World Cup broadcaster, Fox was already partial towards the success of the U.S. Men’s National Team. But now, it’s clear that there’s a pretty big financial reward at stake for the network if the Americans make a deep run in the tournament.
Fox stands to make upwards of $2 million per 30-second ad spot for a USMNT World Cup game if the team advances to the semifinal or final, according to a report by Michael McCarthy in Front Office Sports. For reference, recent Super Bowl ads have been sold for around $8 million a piece.
Per Front Office Sports, Fox was already selling some commercials for close to $1 million during the first two USMNT matches, both of which performed extremely well from a viewership standpoint. The team’s opening game against Paraguay scared up 16 million viewers on Fox, while the second game against Australia drew about 15 million viewers last Friday.
The advertising windfall Fox stands to earn from this World Cup has been well-documented, particularly in the context of the mandatory hydration breaks FIFA have implemented, which allow broadcasters to show several minutes of mid-game commercials during each match. Conservatively, Fox will earn $250 million from the hydration break advertising alone, though other estimates peg the potential revenue at over $500 million. Fox paid just $485 million for broadcast rights to this World Cup.
It’s no surprise that a deep run by the Americans could provide and even bigger profit engine for Fox, but the magnitude of that profit is still yet to be seen. While estimates suggest a semifinal or final with the U.S. participating could attract upwards of $2 million per spot, if viewership for the USMNT’s round-of-32 or round-of-16 matches exceed expectations, those ad rates could go higher still.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.