Fox Sports Called Out for Fawning ‘Qatar Regime-Aligned’ World Cup Coverage: ‘So Embarrassing’

"It's 64 Super Bowls in 29 days… This is a once in a lifetime opportunity where people will come and celebrate football." @JennyTaft speaks with Secretary General of the Supreme Committee Hassan Al-Thawadi before the opening match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup pic.twitter.com/LHrtqcTGJQ

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 20, 2022

I’d sooner quit than cave to being the mouthpiece of human rights abusers.

By all means, enjoy the World Cup. But be journalists first. Paint a realistic picture, not propaganda.

And if Qatar won’t let you do that – then maybe that’s exactly what I’m talking about https://t.co/R6NS4ARO1T

— Matt Vereen (@MattVereen) November 21, 2022

I actually gasped at the beginning of this it was so bad. https://t.co/P0t4GQDSxG

— Julie DiCaro wrote a book (@JulieDiCaro) November 20, 2022

This was so embarrassing. https://t.co/LCpvMhemhH

— jon greenberg (@jon_greenberg) November 20, 2022

It's kinda wild that the world suspected/sorta knew about the bribes many years ago and we just kinda kept going and did this anyway. https://t.co/FwApXXoH54

— Dave Levitan (@davelevitan) November 20, 2022

Don’t networks have to label infomercials? https://t.co/GNsUXS6Oup

— A.J. Perez (@byajperez) November 20, 2022

Fox Sports is also lavishing praise on Qatar for much the same reason. From @benjstrauss https://t.co/mG6gP9npwn https://t.co/D4LL0BwvjA pic.twitter.com/Lp9pdNqPhS

— Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) November 20, 2022

Embarrassing. Either tell the real story or “stick to sports.” This is the worst option. https://t.co/0z1xcaWvlJ

— Greg Krieg (@GregJKrieg) November 20, 2022

(Bribes. They paid bribes. Fox Sports is lavishing praise on these people but in the end the World Cup is in Qatar because of bribes.) pic.twitter.com/HNhkcXuFH1

— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) November 20, 2022

Let’s recap day one of Fox’s World Cup coverage:
– Presenting sponsorship by Qatar Airways
– Puff piece before the opening game
– No references to any geopolitical and human rights issues
– And then you compare it to what Telemundo, the BBC and even beIN Sports are doing… pic.twitter.com/zgqK4Jjp7p

— Bob Williams (@WilliamsBob75) November 20, 2022

Big contrast between the Qatar regime-aligned coverage in the United States on Fox Sports and the coverage on the UK rights-holder. https://t.co/hk9Kla6utE

— Subscribe to GrantWahl.com (@GrantWahl) November 20, 2022

I know Fox Sports wants to avoid the issues of Qatar, but when it shows the country's support section, it's seems impossible to ignore there are no women.

It is disgusting.

— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) November 20, 2022

Turned on the #WorldCup2022 coverage this morning, two seconds in @FOXSports @FOXSoccer started white/greenwashing Qatar. Turned it right back off. This is impossible for me, a giant soccer fan, to watch

— Gabe Rosenberg (@Gaber205) November 21, 2022