"FIFA will allow broadcasters to go to commercial breaks during hydration breaks, the Athletic reported last week. A FIFA spokesperson confirmed the changes to Fortune. While more frequent ad breaks are not likely to surprise many viewers based in the U.S., it's a significant departure from how commercials have traditionally featured in soccer elsewhere."
"American sports have long been built around pauses in play that double as inventory for advertisers. In 2010, the Wall Street Journal infamously calculated how the average NFL game features around 20 commercial breaks and more than 100 individual ads, with roughly an hour of screen time-about a third of the broadcast-devoted to advertising."
"Soccer games are played in two 45-minute halves. Halftime breaks have long been considered fair game for advertisers, but the changes for this year's World Cup will effectively split the games up into quarters, as FIFA's hydration breaks are scheduled for the 22nd-minute mark regardless of weather."
FIFA announced that the 2026 World Cup in North America will feature two mandatory three-minute hydration breaks per game to address high summer temperatures. Broadcasters will be permitted to air commercials during these breaks, marking a significant shift in soccer broadcasting. This departure from traditional soccer practices aligns with American sports models, where games are structured around commercial opportunities. The hydration breaks are scheduled for the 22nd minute regardless of weather conditions, effectively dividing matches into quarters. This change represents FIFA's adaptation to North American broadcasting conventions, where commercial breaks are integral to sports programming.
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