FIFA Risks Further Wrath of Fans With NFL-Like World Cup Decision

Mandated in-game hydration breaks will also serve another purpose.

The World Cup is increasingly a way to make money. | ULISES RUIZ/AFP/Getty Images

In a move that will see soccer become like the NFL and NBA, FIFA is reported to have granted broadcasters permission to cut to commercials during mandated World Cup hydration breaks.

Although TV advertisements are a longstanding part of a typical NFL or NBA broadcast, during specific breaks in play such as timeouts, it’s not the done-thing in soccer matches.

But because of the potential summer temperatures in the United States, Canada and Mexico bringing health risks to the players, matches will be paused midway through each half. It means that players will be able to properly stop—including halftime—to take on fluids every 20–25 minutes.

The hydration breaks, which will happen without exception in every match regardless of in-game weather conditions to ensure fairness across the tournament, are to last three minutes. With that comes an opportunity for broadcasters to make money by selling the time to advertisers.

The breaks have been established as a ‘player welfare’ measure and certainly are more than justifiable as such. But, on top of the enormity of some ticket prices, it has only fueled opinion that this World Cup is serving corporate greed over the sport and its fans more than any other before.

“The use of hydration breaks is part of a focused attempt to ensure the best possible conditions for players, drawing upon the experiences of previous tournaments,” FIFA say. But if even more money can be made on top, it will be.

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FIFA Puts Advertising Caveats in Place

Hydration breaks were trialed at the Club World Cup last summer. | PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images

There will still be some protection for the soccer itself and The Athletic reports that it isn’t open-season for broadcasters to do as they please.

Firstly, there is no obligation to run any commercials at all. In the U.K., for example, the BBC does not run commercials other than trailers for its own shows. Networks could choose to stay with the match feed, or return to a studio for analysis, or even just show commercials in a portion of the screen—in that scenario, slots can only be sold to FIFA sponsors.

With a full cut away from the match broadcast, advertising slots can be sold to anyone, which could cause conflict if rivals to FIFA-partnered brands are awarded them.

There are also strict timings which must be adhered to. Any commercials cannot begin within the first 20 seconds of the referees signaling the start of a hydration break and the broadcast must be back with the match feed at least 30 seconds before play resumes. That leaves up to 130 seconds for commercials out of the three-minute pause.

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