Former ESPN President John Skipper isn’t sugarcoating it. The former ESPN president says FOX Sports still hasn’t matched ESPN’s World Cup presentation of the tournament.
What We Know: Skipper appeared on Pablo Torre Finds Out to discuss soccer’s biggest stage. He addressed watching this summer’s FIFA World Cup coverage on FOX Sports. ESPN held U.S. broadcast rights to the World Cup in 2006, 2010, and 2014. Skipper credited former ESPN president George Bodenheimer for backing that early investment.
What They Said: (all quotes via Pablo Torre Finds Out)
John Skipper on watching the World Cup on FOX Sports: “It has a sting to it. Does it bother me that I [turn] on the television and I have to watch Fox in order to see the World Cup? Hell yeah, it bothers me. Somebody asked me how they were doing in production and I finally thought of the right answer. It’s the second greatest production of the World Cup ever. So, they’re doing okay. But it’s not the greatest production of the World Cup ever.”
John Skipper on how ESPN betting on the World Cup so early was the right bet: “I take pride in the fact that we at ESPN were right about this [World Cup]. That George [Bodenheimer] supported me. We went out and built the World Cup in 2006, 2010, and 2014. We celebrated the event, and spent a boatload of money doing stories.”
What Remains Unclear: Skipper didn’t specify which specific production elements separate FOX from ESPN’s standard that he oversaw.
What It Means: As someone who championed the World Cup for many years at ESPN, it’s understandable why Skipper would feel this way. To be fair, FOX Sports has carried the rights for nearly a decade and have attempted to build their own legacy with the tournament. Nevertheless, his remarks suggest lingering competitiveness among former rights holders. While Skipper may be taking some credit for the amplification of the tournament while overseeing ESPN, the viewership figures FOX Sports are providing are unmatched to anything ESPN provided at the time.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
