World Cup Poses New Challenges for Football Commentators

The FIFA World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada, with its 104 matches over 39 days, is shaping up to be a significant test of players' physical and mental endurance. However, the same holds true for the television crews covering the biggest football spectacle.

This year's World Cup is already breaking records for revenue and media reach. Over 100 television channels are broadcasting the matches to 223 territories, and FIFA predicts more than six billion media engagements – a billion more than the 2022 tournament.

Covering the expanded 48-team format is a monumental task. Among the unsung heroes are the commentators, who constantly travel between the 16 host cities. Each match demands hours of meticulous preparation to present the stories of teams and players to millions of viewers.

For BBC commentator Steve Bower, the scale of this World Cup presents an unprecedented challenge in his thirty-year career.

“This tournament is absolutely crazy. The number of teams, the matches, the travel, the different countries... this competition is testing our skills in entirely new ways,” Bower told Reuters after covering his ninth match across six different cities and two countries.

New difficulties include identifying players from the high-up commentary booths in giant American football stadiums, as well as the fact that many players wear identical fluorescent pink boots.

According to Bower, maintaining focus amidst all the drama is crucial, especially during simultaneous group stage matches. Behind the calm and authoritative voice often lies tension, stemming from the need to keep the audience informed of the bigger picture and to make lightning-fast calculations under pressure.

“Experience helps you handle such situations better, but the responsibility remains. Adrenaline carries you through the broadcast, but there's always a dose of nervous energy,” he adds.

The four time zones, an additional 16 teams, and 40 matches are forcing broadcasters from the host countries to operate at an unprecedented level. The American Spanish-language channel Telemundo has studios in Mexico City, Miami, and New York, 80 on-air personalities, 1,400 production staff, as well as reporters and dozens of cameras in all 16 cities.

Canadian company Bell Media, which operates sports channel TSN, began its preparations back in 2023. It has production sites in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal, a team at FIFA's control center in Dallas, and numerous rotating crews to ensure endurance during the 39-day marathon.

Shawn Redmond, Vice President of Sports at the company, notes that as a co-host, this World Cup is perhaps the biggest media event in Canada's history.

“The logistics are incredibly demanding. We have responsibilities and obligations that we take very seriously to get the job done right,” he stated.

US television network Fox Sports is also reporting record viewership, averaging five million viewers in the US for each group stage match – a 92% increase compared to the World Cup in Qatar.

Fox achieved great success by engaging 12 former top players as studio analysts and nine commentary pairs for the 104 matches. Among them are Darren Fletcher and former England international Owen Hargreaves – a duo known for their lively on-air dialogues. They are based in Dallas but travel to Toronto, Guadalajara, New York, Houston, and Atlanta.

Fletcher, who also works for British TNT Sports, adapts his style for different audiences and prioritizes explaining the significance of each match. Preparation is key, as is the constant pursuit of improvement by reviewing recordings of his own commentary and meticulously analyzing every line.

“I try to stay focused, to know all the players when the big games start. I'm a fan like everyone else, and it's possible to get confused. You have to be self-aware. There's nothing genius about it,” Fletcher told Reuters.

Pronouncing players' names can be a real headache. That's why Fletcher prepares phonetic transcriptions in his extensive pre-match notes, which he prints and laminates.

“Once someone spilled a drink on my notes, and they became illegible. Now I'm prepared for that too,” he shares.

Despite all the challenges, BBC's Bower considers himself one of the lucky few who witness great football moments firsthand.

“I honestly believe this is the best job in the world. I never complain,” he says.

Fletcher shares the same sentiment, especially amidst the dissatisfaction of many fans regarding high ticket prices.

“We have the best seats, I'm watching the World Cup with my friend – that's more than you could ask for. When you cover matches, you're invited into strangers' living rooms. It's an honor for us. We are privileged, and it's so exciting,” he concludes.