Two soccer fans began watching all 104 tournament games from a clear enclosure inside Times Square on June 29, 2026, after being selected as Fox One's Chief World Cup Watchers.
Content creators Kevin Akoto and Austin Franklin secured the roles, which pay a $50,000 reward alongside access to state-of-the-art televisions, surround sound systems, and snacks.
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Fox One collaborated with employment website Indeed to recruit individuals for the positions, which require navigating matches broadcast across four different time zones.
Both selected participants have established social media followings that continue to expand through the public initiative.
Application Process and Lifestyle Changes
Akoto applied for the role through the employment platform after recording a video application and waiting several weeks for a response from the organizers.
"I thought this was a great opportunity, I took out the phone, started recording, made a video, went through Indeed, and put the application in," said Kevin Akoto, Chief World Cup Watcher.
"After weeks and weeks of waiting got the email that the good people at Fox wanted to meet with me, and from then on it's been a wonderful adventure."
The demanding broadcast schedule across multiple time zones forced changes to the daily routines and professional lives of the chosen participants.
"I quit my job to be here, so it's completely changing my schedule to be here, and also going through the mentality, this is a marathon, not a sprint, making sure that you take just taking it one day at a time," said Akoto.
