Fox scrambling to make a profit with World Cup

Viewership of the monthlong event. which will kick off Thursday, is expected to drop from four years ago because the games will be broadcast while many Americans are asleep. Fox will air all 64 games live, including 38 on its flagship broadcast network.

The absence of the U.S. team has forced Fox to lower the audience it guaranteed advertisers by as much as 20 percent, according to an ad buyer with knowledge of the details. Fox also cut its projections for advertising sales by about $20 million, Bloomberg reported in October.

Fox had already sold about 75 percent of its World Cup advertising before the U.S. men's team faltered last year. So the company offered advertisers free air time in late-round matches or during other programming to account for any slip in viewership, said the buyer.

Fox’s prices are higher than during the 2014 World Cup, when Walt Disney Co. showed the tournament on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC, according to another buyer, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Fox says that any gloominess after the U.S. team’s elimination has been mitigated by strong demand.

“Everyone's initial reaction was the loss of the U.S. would have a negative impact,” Sullivan said. “But what’s happened around the World Cup is the advertisers tend to be big, global brands. ... They want to be there when there is a big global event.”

Overall, the U.S. team’s absence should depress domestic ad sales across television and the internet by as much as $100 million, according to the adbuying firm Zenith. TV networks can charge a premium when the U.S. team plays — which helps draw fans to other games, highlight shows and online outlets.