Full Breakdown
$50,000 Times Square Job: Fox One’s “Chief World Cup Watchers”
6/25/2026, 2:28:50 PM
The Role and Its Mechanics
Fox One hired Kevin Akoto and Austin Franklin as its “Chief World Cup Watchers,” paying each $50,000 to view every one of the 104 matches in the 2024 FIFA World Cup. The duo works from a glass-enclosed studio on Broadway in New York’s Times Square, where they must watch the games, create fan-focused content, and remain on-camera for passers-by.
Background: World Cup Marathon and Fan-Engagement Strategy
The tournament features six matches per day through the group stage, creating a continuous stream of content for broadcasters. Fox One’s experiment aims to blend live commentary with a public-facing studio, turning the act of watching into a spectator attraction and a source of social-media material.
Profiles: Kevin Akoto and Austin Franklin
Kevin Akoto, a line cook from Florida, and Austin Franklin, a social-media influencer from Philadelphia, beat thousands of applicants for the positions. Both describe the job as “relatively easy” but “tiresome” because it requires sustained attention to every match while maintaining an on-camera presence.
Timeline of the Assignment
- June 24, 2024: World Cup opening match.
- Early July 2024: Akoto and Franklin begin their shifts in the Times Square studio.
- ~One week later: BBC interview conducted during the group stage, documenting their experiences.
Numbers Behind the Job
- Compensation: $50,000 per watcher for the tournament’s duration.
- Matches: 104 total, six per day during the group stage.
- Applicants: Thousands applied for the two-person role.
- Studio amenities: Recliners, a brown leather sofa, two large televisions, a foosball table, football merchandise, and rotating cuisines from participating nations.
Official Position: Fox One’s Objectives and Terms
Fox One announced that the “Chief World Cup Watchers” would serve both as live commentators and as a public showcase, encouraging fan interaction from the high-traffic Times Square location. The network’s brief outlined that the pair must watch every match, generate social-media content, and remain on-camera for the duration of each shift, with the $50,000 stipend covering the entire tournament.
On the Ground: The Glass Cubicle Experience
The glass box offers three-sided visibility to pedestrians. Fans outside can watch Akoto and Franklin as they react to key moments—such as Lionel Messi breaking the all-time World Cup scoring record—while the duo samples dishes representing the competing countries. Interactions with Brazilian, Norwegian, and other international supporters are a regular feature of the day-to-day routine.
Criticism and Public Reaction
Norwegian fan Eimund Liland (52) and his daughter Camille (15) described the nonstop schedule as an “overdose” of World Cup viewing with no privacy. Matthew Mendez (18) argued that spending the tournament with friends or family would be preferable. Conversely, Miguel Sanchez (20) praised the arrangement as “even better than going to the stadium,” emphasizing the novelty of being paid to watch.
Conflicting Reports and Information Gaps
Sources agree on the $50,000 pay and the 104-match requirement, but none provide details on contract length beyond the tournament, the specific distribution channels for the created content, or an official comment from Fox One beyond the job description. These omissions leave the broader commercial impact of the experiment unclear.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It's like any 20-year-old's imagination, if you could put anything in here, this is what you'd put in as a soccer fan,” — Kevin Akoto, Chief World Cup Watcher
- “It is a total marathon. It's a relatively easy job, I'm sitting on a couch watching football, but it has been tiresome and I'm making sure I'm getting my eight hours when I can.” — Austin Franklin, Chief World Cup Watcher
- “We're in the C-Suite,” — Austin Franklin, joking about the role
- “I'm putting this on my resume,” — Kevin Akoto
- “The craziest part of it is how frequently I forget that I'm in Times Square with people watching me.” — Austin Franklin
- “He says, 'This is even better than going to the stadium; it's really great to earn money by watching the World Cup.” — Miguel Sanchez, spectator
What Lies Ahead
As the tournament progresses toward the knockout stage, Akoto and Franklin will continue their daily shifts, documenting each match and maintaining the public studio. Fox One may evaluate the experiment’s audience reach and consider extending the concept to future sporting events.
