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The original was posted on /r/soccer by /u/Sparky-moon on 2026-03-05 12:00:33+00:00.
FIFA will allow broadcasters to cut away to advertisements during the “hydration breaks” that will split up each half of every 2026 World Cup match, multiple people briefed on the guidelines or with direct knowledge of them told The Athletic.
FIFA officials also discussed the change with broadcast executives, and three sources, including one at FIFA, have now confirmed to The Athletic that broadcasters will be permitted to flip away from the match feed to show commercials, as they would during halftime or a timeout in basketball or American football.
There are, however, some guardrails, two sources said.
Broadcasters have been told that the ad break shouldn’t start within 20 seconds of the referee’s whistle pausing play, and that they shall return to the match feed more than 30 seconds before play resumes, according to written guidelines shared with The Athletic.
This means that they would have a two-minute, 10-second window for the commercials.
They are not obligated to cut away to any ads. They could return to a studio and show pundits analyzing the match. They could also stick with the match feed, or shrink it and show advertisements on only part of the screen. (In this scenario, commentators could continue to analyze the match, or the ads could take over audio feeds as well.)
If the broadcasters don’t fully cut away, though, they are only allowed to sell such advertising to FIFA sponsors, sources said.