FOX's World Cup set in Qatar is huge

FOX’s World Cup set in Doha is a sight to see during Qatar 2022.

Built at a cost of several million dollars, it is the centerpiece of FOX’s coverage of the world’s biggest tournament. After all, FOX Sports have exclusive English-language coverage of the 2022 World Cup. Of equal importance, the competitions runs November 20 though December 18 with every game on TV and streaming.

Scenic site for FOX’s World Cup set

Set in downtown Doha, FOX’s World Cup set offers a beautiful view of the Corniche, which is the ultra-modern skyline there.

FOX Sports co-commentator and analyst Stu Holden gave us a first glimpse of what the studio looks like. See clip below (and apologies for the SHOUTING by Stu Holden). As an aside, it’s interesting that Holden and the FOX crew completely disregard mentioning USA’s opening game against Wales. Instead, they concentrate on the Black Friday game between USA and England.

First impressions

FOX Sports’ set is huge. In particular, the openness of the design with the gorgeous views of the skyline invite the viewer in. Similarly, the mix of LED screens, augmented reality and physical desks are seamless. Overall, the set looks like it was money well spent.

The FOX Sports World Cup studio is a mix of physical, hard desks as well as virtual graphics. Recently, executive producer David Neal described it in more detail in an interview with Sports Video Group:

“The practice pitch is a giant LED screen. To the viewer, it will look like a piece of grass.

“But the set has physical attributes to it. It has pieces which will accurately reflect the culture and architecture of Qatar, and that part of the world. So those pieces will actually come across better if they’re there rather than being virtually there. It’s a blend. It’s a hybrid.”