Fifa will not punish Fox for breaking advertising rules during World Cup opener

US broadcaster overran ads during hydration break

Broadcasts must return 30 seconds before play resumes

Fox will not face any sanction from Fifa for breaking the governing body’s advertising rules during the opening game of the World Cup between Mexico and South Africa last week.

The US broadcaster broke Fifa’s strict guidelines for showing commercials during hydration breaks on the first occasion they were in operation by returning to the live action 10 seconds after play had resumed during the second half at Mexico City Stadium.

While Fox’s commercials overran by 40 seconds, the broadcaster is understood to have provided an explanation to Fifa by claiming that it was unaware that referee Wilton Sampaio signaled a hydration break early after Raúl Jiménez scored Mexico’s second goal of the game, and that it was unaware it had been called. As a result Fox was late in cutting to its commercial breaks, which subsequently overran.

While some viewers complained about Fox’s error, there have been no repeat incidents since. Telemundo, the World Cup’s Spanish-language broadcaster in the US, has opted not to cut away to full-screen advertising during hydration breaks, which last for three minutes and take place once in each half regardless of temperature.