Fox One's 'Chief World Cup Watchers' Kevin Akoto and Austin Franklin

Kevin Akoto and Austin Franklin were hired by U.S. broadcaster Fox One as the network’s “Chief World Cup Watchers.” From a glass‑walled viewing cube in Times Square, the pair watched every one of the 104 matches of the 2022 tournament, posting commentary and fan interaction on their social‑media channels. Each received a $50,000 fee for the assignment. Franklin, an influencer from Los Angeles, noted, “My dad cleans up oil spills for a living… I sit here with my friend Kevin and watch all of these matches and get to go outside and interact with fans.” Akoto added that the role reflected how “people are consuming sports more through social media.” Both said they would gladly repeat the job, even if FIFA expands the World Cup to 64 teams.

The experiment highlighted the growing blend of live sports broadcasting and digital fan engagement, with Fox One leveraging the duo’s on‑site presence to generate additional content for viewers.