As the Exec Producer of the FIFA World Cup on Fox Sports, David Neal not only manages all aspects of the network’s coverage of that tournament, but also a number of the net's other major soccer events, such as the CONCACAF Gold Cup and the currently on-going Copa America Centenario. Neal has more than 30 years of sports television production experience, and he spoke to THE DAILY prior to tonight's U.S.-Argentina Copa America semifinal match about the tournament, the net's slate of soccer coverage and what they learned from last year's Women's World Cup.
Q: Now that we’re deeper into the Copa America Centenario, what are your thoughts on the tournament thus far?
Neal: For a tournament that really had a very low profile and a very low identity in the U.S. not too long ago, when I look at the interest that we’ve seen thus far and the viewership numbers, it’s been almost all positive. I think the tournament has gained great momentum in a very short time, and I’d expect that to only increase as it further ramps up. I think the fact that you have all of these high profile teams and players in the U.S. in a real competition; it’s a huge contributor to the rapid growth of interest.
Q: What did you learn from last year’s Women’s World Cup that you were able to apply to this tournament?
Neal: The mantra for all of us that worked last year in Canada is that it’s a marathon not a sprint. It’s three-plus weeks of television where you’re working nearly every day. A big deal is made about the rest days that athletes get, and that’s good for TV people too. Making sure we don’t burn out, and that we’re pacing ourselves is very important.
Q: Given that Fox acquired the rights for this tournament only about six months ago, how did that affect your planning?
Neal: We have the luxury of having the World Cup unit here, so because we were already planning for multiple events years ahead like the Confederations Cup in 2017, the 2018 World Cup and so on, we are already in that cycle of planning. So when the deal came together, it was like we were almost doing on spec preparations for it because it fit right in with everything else. That work kept us from scrambling, and we were really able to plan around this event quickly.
Q: Fox has quite the run-up of soccer events to come, including those you mentioned as well as the World Cup through '26 and the Women’s World Cup through '23. How does that affect what you do?
Neal: Everything we do is built towards preparing for the next World Cup. It may seem like a long time away, but it’s barely over 700 days to go. We remind ourselves a lot of the magnitude and expectations, not only on the TV side, but on the soccer side as well.
Q: You’ve had a chance to oversee coverage of the Olympics, the Super Bowl and some of the biggest moments in U.S. sports history, such as Michael Jordan’s last game with the Bulls. Do you think soccer is in that discussion of some of the best sports programming on TV?
Neal: There is no question in my mind that soccer is reaching that level in the U.S. I was able to work at nine Olympics, and there is nothing like the moment when an American athlete steps to the top of the podium and receives the Gold Medal. If that doesn’t give you goose bumps, you have to check your pulse. But in soccer, we’re seeing this mix of pride for the country, but also passion for the game, and that’s a really powerful combination. In a lot of ways, soccer might have greater TV upside than any other sport, so I’m really excited about where the sport is going.
