FOX Sports will be adding three more members to its talent roster for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 on its digital coverage, Barrett Sports Media has learned.
Former United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) defensive midfielder Leslie Osborne, United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) defender Jimmy Conrad and Colombia National Team midfielder Melissa Ortiz will anchor the World Cup Now show on Twitter. The interactive pregame and postgame program will be available for people to watch on the network’s social media platforms in addition to in-match previews.
“We pride ourselves on bringing best-in-class coverage to the biggest live events in the world,” Michael Bucklin, FOX Sports Senior Vice President, Digital, said in a statement. “Like for a Super Bowl, World Series or Men’s World Cup, we’re bringing our A-game to our digital offerings for 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.”
Studio analysts at the World Cup, including Carli Lloyd, Heather O’Reilly and Karina LeBlanc, will engage in candid discussion and intuitive forecasting on World Cup Now and other programming. Pregame iterations of the show will highlight the event venue, players and teams. After the game, the program will be predicated on highlights, reaction and analysis – and clips throughout the day will be shared on social media.
At the end of all 31 days of the quadrennial tournament, World Cup Daily articles will be penned and shared online to recap the day and preview what is to come.
Osborne previously worked with FOX Sports on its coverage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada and France, rendering this year’s proceedings her third consecutive appearance. Over her playing career, she appeared for the U.S. Women’s National Team 62 times and placed third in the FIFA Women’s World Cup China 2007.
Upon her retirement, she began working with various former USWNT teammates Brandi Chastain, Danielle Slaton and the aforementioned Wagner as an owner and co-founder of Bay FC. The San Francisco, Calif.-based National Women’s Soccer League expansion franchise, created in partnership with investment firm Sixth Street, will begin play in 2024.
After a storied national career with 28 international caps as a member of the USMNT and an MLS Cup championship, Conrad returns to FOX Sports as a digital host and analyst for this year’s competition.
Conrad made his FOX Sports debut at the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup in Qatar while serving as the technical director for the San Francisco Glens Soccer Club in USL League Two (USL2).
Ortiz makes her second appearance with FOX Sports as a digital analyst and host, bringing skill and expertise cultivated throughout her international career. While on the field, she was a critical part of Colombia qualifying for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada and played professionally across various different leagues.
Since retiring, Ortiz has become an active TikTok user and co-founded an artisan-roasted coffee company called Kickoff Coffee Co.
“Leslie, Jimmy and Melissa are exciting personalities with vast experience playing for their country on the world’s greatest stage,” Bucklin added. “They’ll be joined daily by top experts and analysts from our television desk to engage fans before and after every single match of the tournament live from our beautiful digital set in Australia.”
Aside from World Cup Now, FOX Sports will provide unparalleled coverage of the global competition before, during and after matchups. FOX Sports insiders Laken Litman and Doug McIntyre will deliver reports and tell the stories throughout the proceedings, on hand for all USWNT matches.
Jenny Taft, the network’s lead college football reporter and former FOX Sports 1 studio host, will also work as an insider for the USWNT. The team is looking to capture its third-straight FIFA Women’s World Cup championship.
FOX Sports is utilizing five game commentary teams to cover the international competition, led by JP Dellacamera and Aly Wagner. Other commentators making the trip include Kate Scott, John Strong, Warren Barton and Jacqui Oatley. Rob Stone will serve as the network’s studio host across World Cup coverage.
Alexi Lalas and David Mosse will also record a daily episode of his podcast, Alexi Lalas’ State of the Union, while he is in Sydney, Australia.
Lalas has been the lead studio analyst for the network’s soccer coverage since 2015 and experienced immense success as a member of the USMNT. In 2006, he was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame for his excellence on defense and recently called the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup.
Fans interested in engaging with the show can call the podcast hotline – (657) 549-2297 – for a chance to make their voices heard. All episodes are available wherever you get your podcasts, and clips are frequently shared on social media.
FOX Sports will stream World Cup matches in 4K resolution through connected TV platforms and Roku devices. Viewers away from a television can utilize their phones or tablets to watch the matches live using the FOX Sports App. Streaming devices will have the functionality to catch up with a select matchup by viewing highlights in real time.
The FOX Sports app and website will also feature the FIFA World Cup Hub, which will update matchup scores, statistics and standings. Additionally, it will contain full replays of all 64 matches, the ability for users to access bonus feeds and exclusive original content.
Derek Futterman is a contributing editor and sports media reporter for Barrett Media. Additionally, he has worked in a broad array of roles in multimedia production – including on live game broadcasts and audiovisual platforms – and in digital content development and management. He previously interned for Paramount within Showtime Networks, wrote for the Long Island Herald and served as lead sports producer at NY2C. To get in touch, find him on X @derekfutterman.
