David Neal, the man behind FOX’s Women’s World Cup coverage

There’s no doubt that this year’s Women’s World Cup is the most beautiful coverage of the tournament in US TV soccer  history. From the set to the virtual graphics, FOX’s coverage of the Women’s World Cup has grown by leaps and bounds compared to what we’ve been accustomed to from the network. While there’s undoubtedly several people behind the scenes that deserve credit for the hard work, the main man behind the transformation is David Neal.

Neal has 30 years of production experience at the highest levels and has been the recipient of 34 Emmy Awards. His track record includes a 30-year tenure with NBC Sports, where he produced nine Olympics, four NBA Finals, two World Series, and a Super Bowl pregame show. In addition to his 34 Emmys, Neal’s creativity and innovation were recognized with a Peabody Award following the 2008 Olympic Summer Games.

When asked about Neal’s vision for the 2015 Women’s World Cup, Neal replied “In many ways covering a World Cup is similar to covering an Olympics. It takes years of planning to make sure that once you get to the host country you have the facilities and personnel in different locations to make your production appear seamless to the viewer and manage all the variables that always come up.

“From the first day I met with David Hill and Eric Shanks, they assured me that FOX was committed to providing the resources to put on a world-class, Olympic-level production, and we will. Without a doubt, the level of commitment to the production and promotion of this Women’s World Cup from FOX is on a scale bigger than ever before.

“There’s no doubt that FOX has its own production style, and since the game coverage is provided by FIFA, that style will be mostly reflected in our pregame, bridge and post-match programming from Jack Poole Plaza in Vancouver. The set was designed with a Pacific Northwest feel. It’s as gorgeous as it is functional, giving us multiple looks for the different shows. Our style is also reflected in the hosts, play-by-play announcers and analysts we’ve assembled. They’re energetic and opinionated, and we believe they’ll do a fantastic job guiding fans through the tournament in an entertaining and informative way.”

The good news for soccer fans is that Neal is expected to work on FOX’s coverage of this summer’s prestigious CONCACAF Gold Cup.