Four minutes and 20 seconds per match. Or seven hours, 30 minutes and 40 seconds across the tournament. That's how much extra TV advertising some football fans around the world are watching during mandatory hydration breaks at the World Cup – commercial time expected to generate more than $250m (£189m) in the USA alone.
While viewers in the UK watching on BBC and ITV see players refuel and hear extra tactical insight from pundits, spectators elsewhere are taken away from the football to see companies selling their products. The ads are allowed to begin 20 seconds after the referee blows the whistle for the three-minute pause midway through each half, and must end 30 seconds before the action restarts. That works out as a potential eight extra 30-second ad slots per match for each broadcaster in each country – 832 between the start and end of the competition.
“World Cup hydration break ads expected to generate over $250m in US alone, while UK viewers shielded from commercials.”
Experts told BBC Sport that an average 30-second World Cup ad slot on Fox Sports costs between $200,000 (£152,000) and $300,000 (£227,000), rising to $750,000 (£567,000) during USA matches and the final stages. With Fox Sports using the maximum advertising time during the pauses and displaying them full screen, the broadcaster has been introducing the ad break itself as “sponsored by” a brand. Combined with Fifa sponsor Coca-Cola providing branded drinks for players, the advertising US viewers face during hydration breaks is effectively three-fold.
The breaks have disrupted the momentum of matches, brought heavy criticism from managers and players, and drawn loud jeers from supporters at almost every venue. Fifa has insisted that hydration breaks were introduced to benefit player welfare in the North American heat, and that sporting integrity means they must be used equally in every match, even when temperatures are low in roofed, air-conditioned stadiums.
UK fans have been protected from ads during hydration breaks because the BBC does not use advertising, and ITV's ability to show ads during play is restricted by Ofcom regulations governing how many adverts can be used in a 60-minute period. If ITV used slots during mid-match breaks, they would have fewer available at half-time, for example. But elsewhere broadcasters have the choice – and most have used them as an opportunity to bring in extra money, whether by cutting away to a full commercial break or showing ads in split screen.
The question remains: are hydration break ads here to stay? With more than a quarter of a billion dollars at stake, the financial incentive for broadcasters is enormous – and the jeers from the stands may not be enough to drown out the sound of cash registers.