Fox’s Euro 2024 coverage is splitting opinion. Do you have to love it or hate it?

By
James BAOUCH
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It may not be a huge seller in the United States but across the pond, Marmite is both a yeast-based spread and a template for how something can utterly split opinion.

Even the manufacturers have embraced the idea for their marketing — you either love or hate it. The salty, tar-coloured paste either elicits delight or gags and grimaces (so the theory goes). Stateside viewers of Fox’s Euro 2024 coverage might relate.

The network is having a ‘summer of soccer’, having won the rights to screen the European Championship and Copa America across its channels (Fox, Fox Sports 1 and 2). On Sunday, it announced it had also agreed a deal to show the Women’s Euros next summer.

They have gone full steam ahead with their coverage. By day the gripping dynamics of the Euros group stage, by night a feast of South American juggernauts facing off. Viewers are devouring it in great numbers.

From Sunday, across Fox and Fox Sports 1 their Euros coverage averaged 1.15million viewers — which the network says is up 30 per cent on equivalent U.S. audience figures for the 2021 tournament. For Copa America it is 1.25m — a staggering (and partly Lionel Messi-fuelled) 453 per cent increase on the previous edition three years ago.

Fox has not shown every game. They sub-licensed five of the group-stage fixtures to subscription streaming service Fubo. Some audience members felt that led to suboptimal moments. Fubo’s opening broadcast omitted a game clock and score counter, while another featured an intrusive banner with score updates of other sports, like baseball.

But it is the role of controversial former USMNT player Alexi Lalas that has really divided viewers. The outspoken 54-year-old is never short of a hot take and his brash style can add an element of friction.

Lalas is joined on the studio panel before every game, and during half-time, by the former Liverpool and England striker Daniel Sturridge, along with a revolving cast of other analysts. That has featured some impressive names. Former Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini has starred, as has Manchester United and Denmark legend Peter Schmeichel, both Euros winners. The host is British broadcaster Jules Breach.

Early interactions between Lalas and Sturridge became social media memes. The latter’s expressive reaction to some of the American’s outbursts and interruptions — all side-eyes and low-key scowls — made for great clips on X.

During a tirade against Gareth Southgate after England’s dismal draw with Denmark, Lalas said: “To quote the great Justin Timberlake, who’s had a hell of a week: ‘Cry me a river.’

“What’s that word you guys use over there? Whinging? This whinging that’s going on right now is absolutely ridiculous. The embarrassment of talent, the wealth of ability that exists on this team. Figure it out. If you’re the manager of this team and you arrive at the tournament and haven’t figured it out, that’s on you.”

Cut to Sturridge’s bemused smile.

Lalas is certainly exuberant. Whether you find it boorish or not is a matter of taste. In the same broadcast, he booed Chiellini when he suggested Southgate was unlikely to up England’s attacking ante in the second half.

Then there is the jarring ‘creative moment of the half’ sponsored segment, a ham-fisted slice of analysis set to a rock soundtrack. Against Denmark, Lalas’ description of Kyle Walker’s assist for Harry Kane’s goal basically consisted of bellowed cliches like ‘pickpocket’ and ‘watch your blindside’. He is loud. He is brash. He is also, possibly, playing to type.

“I’m in the entertainment business,” Lalas told The Athletic’s Adam Crafton in an interview last week. “When you say that, sometimes people cringe. By no means am I saying that I can’t be authentic and genuine. But I recognise the way I say something is as important as what I say.

“When I go on TV, I put on a costume and when that red light goes on, I don’t want people changing the channel. I don’t care if you like me or you don’t. I am as human as I possibly can be with the recognition that, on television, things have to be bigger and bolder.”


Lalas played 94 times for the USMNT (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Hashtag Sports)

There are also moments of genuine insight. After all, Lalas played 96 times for his country and reportedly speaks four languages.

Watching him again, after England’s 0-0 draw with Slovenia on Tuesday, he adds a dash of perspective to his take on yet another flat showing from Southgate’s side.

“A lot of what we’re seeing is ‘survive and move’,” he says. “It is such a different mentality in the group phase to the knockout phase. Nobody is going to look at it or put it in a time capsule. Ultimately, the result is most important.”

The occasional awkward moment is not just confined to Lalas. After neither Kane or Conor Gallagher can connect with a Kieran Trippier cross against Slovenia, Sturridge says: “It’s just inches… five inches.” There is silence for half a beat, Schmeichel guffaws, they cut to a break.

It is not just Fox’s Euros coverage that has provided colourful moments. For Copa games, former USWNT star Carli Lloyd is a regular guest, and she was criticised when some viewers felt she added Christian Pulisic to an equivalent roll call of all-time greats such as Diego Maradona and Messi.

At least the offering from the commentary teams during games has been infinitely more cohesive. For England’s opening game against Serbia, the regular pairing of Ian Darke and USMNT icon Landon Donovan sparked well off each other, Darke bringing experience and authority, Donovan up-to-date insight. The latter flagged an alarming statistic: playmaker Phil Foden has passed more to goalkeeper Jordan Pickford than Kane at Euro 2024.

There have been other enjoyable moments from Fox’s coverage.

Schmeichel interviewing his son Kasper, the current Denmark keeper, and giving him a proud-dad hug after the England game. Or Chiellini leaping to his feet, unable to contain his delight, after Italy’s crucial late equaliser against Croatia.

Most of the time, usually when Lalas is not pontificating to Sturridge, everyone looks like they’re having fun. Are the viewers? Maybe some are but, without an alternative broadcaster, they don’t have really have the option not to tune in.

One thing’s for sure: those who are finding this colourful, brash football feast hard to stomach better get used to it. Fox have the rights to Euro 2028 too.

(Top photo: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Hashtag Sports)



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