The opening days of group stage action at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar have been mired in controversy off the pitch, but have also generated some incredibly compelling action on the pitch. When it comes to FOX and Telemundo’s World Cup coverage, it’s been a mix of good and bad so far.
US rights holders FOX Sports (English) and Telemundo Deportes (Spanish) have taken different approaches to presenting the competition. Both announcers have strengths and weaknesses that we have seen so far in the tournament through eight games.
FOX Sports coverage of the 2022 World Cup
Let’s start with the English television channel FOX Sports. Despite intense coverage of the Qatar and FIFA-related controversies by US-based media outlets ranging from ESPN to Netflix to the New York Times, FOX has made an editorial decision to ignore these controversies.
That’s all very well and can be defended as keeping the sport and competition in focus. However, FOX’s decision to spend much of its 90-minute show leading up to Sunday’s game promoting Qatar left a very bad taste in the mouths of many. Rob Stone and Alexi Lalas were so over the top in their false enthusiasm for Qatar that it seemed like they were “working” for the Qatari government or tourism board.
Stone, who was in isolation due to COVID two weeks ago, has not appeared on FOX since the pre-match coverage of Qatar-Ecuador. He’s been replaced by Jenny Taft, Kate Ad, and Tom Rinaldi, all doing a believable job. Taft, in particular, has shown her fluidity and insight as a presenter.
Lalas has stood out among studio commentators for his willingness to challenge conventional norms and provide useful defensive tactical analysis. His analysis of Saudi Arabia’s defensive solidity and strategy in their impressive 2-1 win over Argentina was a highlight for FOX coverage. Eni Aluko has followed up his strong performances in previous tournaments on both UK and US TV with excellent analysis for FOX.
Evaluation of the FOX World Cup commentators
Similarly, that match, which was called by JP Dellacamera and Cobi Jones, highlighted how well FOX can do with commentary when something epic or unexpected happens. Dr. Joe Machnik and Mark Clattenburg chimed in with the interpretations of the rules has been timely, especially during the match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia, where near-offside decisions were a major topic of conversation. Likewise, the team of Jaqui Oatley and Warren Barton was excellent. And Barton, who we’ve criticized in the past, has grown tremendously as a co-commentator.
On Monday, Ian Darke and John Strong called the biggest fights of the day for FOX. Both commentators have a chatty style and are flanked by co-commentators in Landon Donovan and Stu Holden respectively, who are very tactically adept in their analysis. This has led to a good style of cockpit conversation and some interesting discussions between the couples.
The standout of FOX coverage so far in my view has been Clint Dempsey. We’ve gotten used to him at CBS Sports, where he’s brought an attitude and willingness to talk hyperbole to the set. The “Football Guy,” as I call him, has been a banger in a bottle for FOX, and he’s becoming more comfortable as an on-camera presence as his television career continues to unfold.
FOX production problems
While FOX’s commentary and anchor teams have been strong, the production quality of broadcasts has been shaky at times. FOX returned late to the Denmark-Tunisia halftime game, and after the same game concluded, they had an abrupt switch to a show about the NFL on FS1.
Later Tuesday, on FOX, we were left with a blank screen after the final whistle for Poland-Mexico.
We’ve also had some awkward transitions from match to studio, but you can always expect that at the start of a major tournament.
Unfortunately, these production issues have been a long-term problem with FOX’s coverage of the sport, and while the commentary and presentation of the tournament is well ahead of Russia 2018, FOX is still far less crisp in the way it produces matches and tournaments. than its predecessor ESPN.
What makes FOX Sports different
FOX appears to have tapped into the entire media network still under the News Corp umbrella to promote its coverage. This was not the case in 2018, nor was it ever the case when ESPN and ABC televised previous World Cups. While Disney equipped its sports division to promote the World Cup, this time around it never did exactly what FOX has done in terms of bringing the World Cup to mainstream primetime television and to all the other sports properties that FOX airs. .
The other major talking point about FOX is its obsession with Americanizing football coverage. While this doesn’t suit my personal preferences as a more cosmopolitan fan of the sport, the reality is this. FOX is trying to attract casual sports and doing a good job. The overemphasis on the US Men’s National Team, while annoying and somewhat condescending given the lack of focus on US opposition in the opener, is what the audience wants. However, this is despite the fact that the analysis may appear biased and delusional to more seasoned football fans.
Telemundo coverage of the 2022 World Cup
FOX faces unprecedented competition for World Cup viewers in this round. The World Cup is not only played in the winter, thus competing with American football and the Christmas season as well, in addition to NBCUniversal’s efforts to promote its Spanish-language broadcasts to soccer fans who may be dissatisfied with the way they FOX presents the tournament.
Telemundo Deportes began its coverage on Sunday with a different approach. They were direct to the controversies related to Qatar, and even addressed the controversy over Ecuador’s qualification to the competition. Telemundo’s coverage has been solid, with the usual colorful presentation we expect. However, for the broadcaster, the first two days of the tournament were great preparation for Mexico’s first match against Poland, with Telemundo treating Mexico the same way FOX treats the US.
A refreshing element of Telemundo’s coverage was Wales qualifying for their first World Cup since 1958. This included an interview with Tottenham legend Cliff Jones, who is now 87 and was part of the 1958 Wales team. it’s the kind of feature I would have loved to see on FOX or even ESPNFC’s secondary programming around the World Cup.
Why Peacock Attracts Many Soccer Fans
Linear coverage on Telemundo is one part of NBCUniversal’s attempts to win over English-speaking soccer fans. But perhaps most important is the effort to migrate viewers who are used to watching the Premier League on Peacock to Telemundo’s broadcast coverage on Peacock.
Watching Peacock for the World Cup lets you watch a continuous stream of matches, unlike what the streaming service does for the Premier League, and the image quality, at least for me, is superior to that of Linear Telemundo or FOX, either online or broadcast. Like Premier League broadcasts, if you tune in to Peacock late, you have the option of reviewing the key plays in the game up to that point.
The only downside to watching Peacock is that the stream tends to lag behind linear coverage by up to forty seconds in my experience so far. If you can miss the moment when it happens, then Peacock offers a really useful streaming option.
So far in the World Cup, the world’s biggest sporting event has a bigger presence than ever in the US thanks to competition between FOX and NBCUniversal, as well as some major improvements in coverage and promotion.
Feel free to share your comments on FOX and Telemundo’s World Cup coverage; Post your messages in the comments section below.
World Cup 2022 Guide
Here are some resources to help you make the most of the biggest event in soccer!
