A decision made to protect players from extreme summer heat is becoming one of the biggest business stories of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. FOX, the tournament's English broadcaster in the United States, is sparking debates as it generates $250 million from ads.

FIFA's introduction of mandatory three-minute hydration breaks during World Cup matches is a safety measure due to high temperatures across North America, but the broadcasters have gained valuable new advertising to sell.

"The network will likely cover more than half of the $485 million it paid FIFA for World Cup rights from hydration break ads alone," wrote Awful Announcing.

According to The Wall Street Journal, 30-second ad spots are being sold for $200,000 during early-round matchups and as much as $750,000 for games involving the U.S. Men's National Team.

Using an average of $300,000 per ad, FOX can earn $249.6 million from hydration-break commercials throughout the summer, as estimated by Awful Announcing.

With 104 matches and eight commercial slots available per game during the two hydration breaks, FOX has access to approximately 832 in-game advertisements. A higher average rate can push total revenue more than $330 million.

However, not everyone is happy with this arrangement. Critics argued that the breaks disturb the flow of soccer and provide broadcasters with commercial benefit disguised as a health initiative.

Broadcasters can show commercials during hydration breaks under FIFA rules, but they must be back 30 seconds before the game resumes.

FOX reportedly told FIFA that its commercial break ran 40 seconds too long because it missed referee Wilton Sampaio's early signal for a hydration break after Raúl Jiménez scored Mexico's second goal.

As FOX supports a 30-second break, Telemundo announces no ads hydration break.

Telemundo Announces 'We Are Not Taking a Break' During FIFA World Cup Coverage

As broadcasters look for ways to maximize revenue during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Telemundo, an American Spanish-language terrestrial television network owned by NBCUniversal, is taking a different approach from FOX.

With FOX turning hydration breaks into ad slots, Telemundo focused on maintaining continuous coverage.

“This World Cup is ours — we’re not taking a break from it,” Telemundo’s Alejandro Figueredo and Jaime Macias told viewers during Thursday’s June 11 hydration break.

The comment was interpreted as a subtle jab at FOX, but Telemundo maintained uninterrupted coverage, ensuring fans stayed connected to the action from beginning to end.

What do you think of FOX running commercials during hydration breaks? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Hetal Moleshri

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar