Silver Linings Playbook: How Fox Could Bounce Back From U.S. World Cup Ouster
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In failing to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the U.S. Men’s National Team not only dumped a barrel of ice-cold Haterade all over Fox’s shot at pulling a huge ratings number next summer, but it forced the network to radically reconfigure its coverage strategy. And while the broadcaster has had something of a contingency plan in place should the not-so-unthinkable happen, there’s no way to overstate just how crushing a blow this development is for Fox.
The U.S. squad’s mortifying 2-1 loss Tuesday night to CONCACAF cellar dwellers Trinidad and Tobago brought an end to a wholly uninspiring qualifying round in which it managed to win just three of its 10 matches. And while the defeat and subsequent elimination from the World Cup marks an absolute nadir for U.S. Soccer, in the near term at least, Fox Sports is likely to suffer more collateral damage.
Given that the 2018 tourney is to be held halfway around the world in Russia, Fox was already at bit of a disadvantage. Moscow lies eight hours ahead of New York and nearly a half-day in front of Los Angeles, so a match that kicks off at 4 p.m. local time would begin at 8 a.m. on the east coast and 5 a.m. in L.A. Earning big ratings at that time of day isn’t quite as automatic as sinking a penalty kick.
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