Hydration breaks became one of the World Cup’s most divisive innovations. Ostensibly introduced to give players respite in the hot and humid North American conditions, they also became an additional advertising opportunity for broadcasters.
Many traditional supporters complained that they disrupted the rhythm of matches and made football feel more like American sports, with scheduled interruptions rather than continuous play. Yet what irritated many fans delighted broadcasters. The cooling breaks effectively divided each half into two segments, creating valuable additional advertising inventory. According to figures just released, Fox alone is expected to generate at least $250 million in advertising revenue linked to the breaks. For television companies that had invested billions in World Cup rights, the interruptions became a commercial windfall, even if many supporters regarded them as an unwelcome intrusion into the game.
FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, Arsène Wenger, has said the governing body will evaluate the use of hydration breaks after the tournament. Officially, any decision will be based on player welfare in increasingly challenging climatic conditions. However, with broadcasters having discovered the commercial value of the additional stoppages, some supporters fear the World Cup may have opened the door to a more fragmented version of football, where commercial considerations become increasingly intertwined with changes to the laws of the game.
Those who fear the further Americanisation of the sport under FIFA president Gianni Infantino will be concerned this could be the thin edge of the wedge.
