World football governing body is understood to have accepted the broadcaster’s explanation of the events
Fox will not face sanctions from Fifa after breaching the governing body’s broadcasting regulations during the opening match of the World Cup between Mexico and South Africa.
The US network missed a portion of play after returning late from a commercial break during the second half of the tournament opener, the first match played under new rules permitting advertising during hydration breaks.
Fifa rules require broadcasters to resume coverage 30 seconds before play restarts, but Fox did not return to the live feed until 10 seconds after the game had restarted.
The broadcaster’s advertisements overran by approximately 40 seconds, meaning that viewers missed part of the action at Mexico City Stadium due to ads playing on their screens. The incident was criticised by viewers and the media as an example of Fifa prioritising revenue over the actual football.
Fox is understood to have explained to Fifa that the incident had happened because the water break had been called earlier than they expected, shortly after Raul Jimenez scored Mexico’s second goal. As a result, the network was late in switching to its scheduled advertising window, which led to the delay.
Fifa is understood to have accepted the broadcaster’s explanation and will not pursue disciplinary action. Fox holds the English-language television rights for the World Cup in the United States and has not repeated the error in the subsequent matches.
