A dream job in a glass cube
For most football fans, watching the World Cup is a ritual. For Austin Franklin and Kevin Akoto, it has become paid work.
According to Fox Corporation’s official announcement, Franklin and Akoto were selected by FOX One, FOX Sports and Indeed as the platform’s “Chief World Cup Watchers.” Their task is simple in theory and demanding in practice: watch all 104 matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup live from a custom-built viewing cube in the heart of Times Square.
The reward is $50,000 each. That is an important correction from some retellings of the story: the figure is in dollars, not euros.
Franklin, 29, is listed by Fox as being from Dartmouth, Massachusetts, while Akoto, 26, is from Jacksonville, Florida. Both were chosen from thousands of video applicants who pitched themselves for the role.
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More than just watching matches
The job is not only about sitting in front of a screen. The two men are expected to create social media content, share their reactions and interact with supporters throughout the tournament.
As reported by Digi24 in its article citing AFP and Agerpres, the pair are carrying out the assignment in front of thousands of people passing through Times Square. Their glass-walled studio has turned their viewing experience into a public attraction.
The setting is part of the point. The expanded 48-team World Cup is being staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and Fox is using the cube as both a fan experience and a marketing stage for its coverage.
Inside, the setup resembles a football supporter’s living room moved into one of the busiest places in New York: sofas, screens, artificial turf, scarves and enough tournament atmosphere to make the assignment feel less like office work and more like a month-long watch party.
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The cost of saying yes
The role has required real commitment. Akoto gave up his previous job to take part, and Digi24 also reported that he ended a relationship in order to accept the assignment.
The schedule is demanding. With the tournament expanded to 104 matches, the group stage alone can mean several games in a single day. Even for dedicated fans, that turns pleasure into endurance.
Akoto has admitted that not every match is easy viewing.
“Obviously, some matches are a real chore,” he said.
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But the weaker fixtures are balanced by the moments that make the World Cup feel different from any other sporting event. One example came when the pair watched Portugal beat Uzbekistan 5-0, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring his first two goals of the tournament.
A public seat for a global event
Franklin has described the experience as surreal, but also as a reminder of what a World Cup in the United States can feel like.
“There’s a certain energy around a World Cup hosted in your home country,” Franklin said. “And who knows, we’ll see what the United States can do.”
The cube has also become a meeting point for supporters from around the world. Brazilian fans have gathered outside. Tourists have stopped to look in. Curious passersby have treated the pair almost like part of the Times Square scenery.
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According to Ed Aarons in The Guardian’s feature on Franklin and Akoto, the assignment has sometimes felt like a “Truman Show”-style experiment, with the two fans watching football while crowds watch them watching football.
For Fox, that visibility is the value. For Franklin and Akoto, it is a rare chance to turn fandom into a temporary profession. They may not be playing at the World Cup, but for 39 days they are living inside it.
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