This summer, New York City was in full grip of World Cup fever. Viewing groups were scattered throughout the city, but no viewing was as unique as the experience of Kevin Akoto and Austin Franklin, who are the head observers of the World Cup on Fox One.
A pair of soccer fans were given the unique opportunity to watch all 104 World Cup games from the comfort of a transparent booth in the center of Times Square. While they’ll have access to state-of-the-art televisions and surround sound systems to watch the games, snacks to enjoy during the world’s biggest sporting events, and an assortment of toys and games to pass the time between matches, the most enticing aspect of the experience is the $50,000 reward that comes with it.
Fox One partnered with global job site Indeed to find the right people for the position during the World Cup.
“I thought this was a great opportunity, so I pulled out my phone, started recording, made a video, went through Indeed and put the app in,” Akoto said. “After a few weeks of waiting, I received an email that the good people at Fox wanted to meet me, and it’s been a wonderful adventure ever since.”
This year’s World Cup is particularly time-consuming as it spans four time zones. Akoto and Franklin had to make some sacrifices in their schedules to be ready for the night matches.
“I quit my job to be here, so being here completely changes my schedule and also changes the mentality: it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and I have to make sure you only take it one day at a time,” Akoto commented.
“The only thing I had to work on was the bachelor party and the wedding, but luckily my buddies were glad I had the opportunity and said I can’t miss this and that you know I have enough money for their wedding gifts now so that’s good,” Franklin added.
(Photo by Stephanie Augello/PictureGroup for FOX)
One of the reasons both of these fans were chosen is because they have experience creating content. Both have amassed hundreds of thousands of followers across multiple platforms, and their social media presence has only grown since starting this new endeavor.
“It’s great because more people, not just in the U.S. but around the world, can see what we do, can see the unique things that we do, it just gives us more visibility,” Akoto said.
Located in the center of Times Square, the Cube attracts a lot of attention throughout the day, especially during games. The main World Cup observers were able to interact with fans from all over the world throughout the tournament, as their football fans’ home was highly visible.
“I’m like a little fish in a fishbowl, just floating around and letting people watch me. Sometimes they feed me too, so that’s pretty good,” Franklin joked.
While they spend most of their time looking through glass, they also manage to get some personal experience with fans.
“I just think having everyone in Times Square for some reason was the coolest experience. Anyone who has a match in New York decides to have a big party in Times Square and luckily we can be here to celebrate with them and that was my favorite part of the whole thing,” Franklin added.
“When I was told I had a Brazilian spirit and was given a Brazilian Ultras jersey as a gift from a Brazilian fan, it’s hard to beat that. I mean, it was the coolest World Cup experience ever,” he said.
The pair also discussed how social media campaigns like these could help grow the game in the United States.
“In 1994, when the World Cup was held here, social media didn’t exist, so we couldn’t see what was actually happening across the country,” Akoto said. “But now, you know, in 2026 we’ll see the Japanese fans loving the barbecue, we’ll see the Scots taking over Boston and drinking all their beer, so it’s definitely great that a lot of people can see essentially the community that makes football and I feel like it will help grow the game even more in this country.”
Whether it’s watching the intense Golden Boot race or cheering on the U.S. Men’s National Team, Akoto and Franklin will do so in one of the most unique ways this summer.