The 2026 FIFA World Cup, for the first time ever, featured two hydration breaks per game, one in each half. While FIFA initially framed these breaks as a necessary addition to help players rehydrate during matches, soccer fans immediately saw through the official line, convinced it was nothing more than a cover-up to generate more advertising revenue for broadcasters. Now, Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks is making waves with his take, and the fan community is absolutely fuming.
The Big Bucks Behind “Hydration”
Fans didn’t hesitate to call out the real motive behind these new breaks. It felt like a blatant move for profit, not player welfare. With a mixed reaction echoing across social media platforms like X, FIFA themselves are reportedly still undecided on whether to include hydration breaks in future tournaments. It’s a mess, really, because the fans are screaming one thing and the executives are saying another. What’s the truth here? It sure feels like money talks loudest.
Eric Shanks’ “Positive Impact” Claim Gets Torched by Fans
Despite FIFA’s indecision, Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks is all-in on bringing these breaks back. He actually believes the hydration breaks had a “positive impact” on the game and helped “everyone involved on the field.” Seriously? That take went over about as well as a penalty shootout loss. Soccer fans on X absolutely erupted, tearing into Shanks’ comments. One fan didn’t pull any punches, writing, “What an absolute moron, or shall I say, is the boys across the pond say, bell end?” Another fan added, “Pathetic comment… basically he doesn’t give a s___ about the sport.” A third fan pointed out the obvious, “Guess he forgot to mention the hundreds of millions of dollars in extra advertising revenue.” The sarcasm was thick, with another fan commenting, “Very unbiased take from Eric.” And finally, a fifth fan simply stated, “It is against the essence of the game.”
Fans are convinced Shanks isn’t revealing the true motivation behind his support: the massive additional revenue for Fox Sports. Reports are circulating that Fox Sports is poised to rake in up to an additional $500 million just from these mandatory hydration breaks. When you hear numbers like that, it’s hard to believe anything else. It’s tough to look forward to the next big match when you wonder if the game itself is being bent for advertising dollars.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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