Fox Sports to Make Millions From World Cup Hydration Break Ads

Nick is a combat sports writer and editor for GIVEMESPORT - with eight years of experience in the industry.

Nick started out with the GIVEMESPORT Academy in 2018 and has also previously worked as a combat sports editor for Sportskeeda. In his current role with the site, Nick produces and edits news pieces, features and evergreen articles on a wide variety of sports.

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The opening week of the 2026 World Cup has been notable for the controversy created by the hydration breaks taken in the middle of matches. Every single one of the 104 games at the tournament will feature a hydration break after 22 minutes of each half.

Per FIFA regulations, these breaks must last three minutes each. The reasoning behind these breaks relates to the searing temperatures that are typically present in many venues across host countries, the United States, Canada and Mexico.

However, the breaks are mandatory and not based on any temperature readings inside stadiums. The first complaints regarding the breaks came in the opening game of the tournament, where fans were outraged that US broadcaster Fox cut to commercials during the hydration breaks in Mexico's 2-0 victory against South Africa.

Critics claimed that the practice had broken FIFA rules about advertising being shown during matches. However, it is easy to see why Fox took the decision to air commercials after details emerged of the staggering sums they are earning for them during each match.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk went viral on Sunday evening after making his feelings known on the enforced breaks during matches following the Netherlands' 2-2 draw against Japan.

Van Dijk admitted that the hydration breaks were something he "didn't really like", arguing that their presence should be determined on a match-by-match basis:

"I think every time we go to commercials, it's not really something that I like. I think for the neutral viewers on TV it is also not great. So if it is really hot, it would be good to put them in, but I think you have to look at every game separately, in my opinion. But I think I have said enough already on that."

While Van Dijk was careful not to completely savage the practice for fear of angering officials, his former manager, Jurgen Klopp held absolutely nothing back with his opinion on the breaks.

In a damning rant, the 58-year-old accused executives of "holding football hostage", branding the cooling breaks as "a gilded cage built for sponsors."

To date, Fox has run full-screen advertisements during every hydration break stoppage throughout the World Cup. The broadcaster is aware of the criticism, but, per a source for the Sports Business Journal, they have vowed to "continue to go full screen", although a tweak to a picture-in-picture approach "may still happen" before the end of the tournament.

Over the weekend, The Wall Street Journal confirmed that Fox was making a minimum of $200,000 for a 30-second commercial during the group stages. This rises considerably for games involving the USA, where that figure rises to $750,000.

Fox is likely to increase those prices as the tournament progresses. As a result, estimates suggest the broadcaster could make a massive $332.8 million if they can sell each of the eight, 30-second commercial slots for every game.

FIFA have confirmed that Fox will face no disciplinary action for airing the commercials, so long as they are strictly restricted to hydration breaks.