Jun 18, 2026
For many soccer fans, a chance to get paid for watching World Cup matches sounds like a dream. But for two lucky fans, that dream has become a reality — one that they’ll be sharing with thousands of tourists and New Yorkers for the duration of the tournament.
Meet Kevin Akoto and Austin Franklin, the two winners of FOX One’s Chief World Cup Watchers competition.
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As the winners, beating out thousands of applicants, Akoto and Franklin will each receive $50,000 to watch all 104 World Cup matches throughout the 39-day tournament. FOX One reportedly intended to choose just one winner, but the “overwhelming response from fans nationwide” encouraged organizers to pick two, Fox’s direct-to-consumer chief marketing officer Brian Borkowski told The Straits Times.
But there’s just one catch: The two have to watch every match inside a custom-made transparent viewing cube located in the middle of Times Square — one of the largest tourist destinations in the world, with approximately 330,000 people passing through every day.
They have everything they need, except a restroom
Akoto, a Liverpool fan who calls Florida home, was so excited about the opportunity that he had to quit his job just to clear his schedule. “I found out on Thursday that I had won the competition, and so I told them on Friday that it would be my last day!” Akoto told The Guardian.
Franklin, an influencer from Philadelphia, said that while the experience is surreal, he’s enjoyed the early stages of the tournament thus far.
“It has really felt a bit like being on The Truman Show,” Franklin told the Guardian. “I forget at times that we’re here. It’s like: ‘Oh my God!’ There’s 30 people watching us, watching games, most of the time. It is a weird experience.”
As they’ve interacted with fans and passersby, Akoto and Franklin have fielded many questions about the experience. For example, do the two have to live inside the viewing cube for 39 straight days? The answer is no, as both Akoto and Franklin are staying at a nearby hotel. Food that’s inspired by each of the World Cup’s participating countries is also being served to them inside the cube throughout the tournament.
The restroom situation, however, is a different story.
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“I like the idea of finding it,” Franklin said. “That’s kind of fun for me. I’ve got 15 minutes to be, like, ‘All right, let’s see where I can find me a bathroom today.’”
Aside from the potential stress of a daily restroom search, both Akoto and Franklin don’t seem to have much to complain about.
“I mean, I’m sitting on a couch, watching football,” said Franklin. “It’s pretty fun. We have pretty much the perfect job.”
But there’s more to the job than just watching soccer.
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Social media obligations
Both Akoto and Franklin are expected to engage with fans and create content for social media during the tournament. While that may not seem like work for most soccer fans, creating content for four different matches every day could sound exhausting to even the most prolific social media denizen. Akoto believes it’s important that he and Franklin maintain a balanced approach.
“We’re trying to stay authentic in the process of the job, I guess,” said Akoto. “So it’s finding that balance between making sure we’re engaged with the game, but also showcasing what we’re doing.”
Moneywise reached out to Franklin about the experience, but did not hear back by publication time.
There were quite a few things we’re curious about; like whether the two enjoy each other’s company, what they’re doing to stay active, and whether it’s possible to watch too much World Cup soccer.
But we’re also curious about what they’re going to do with their $50,000. A sizable payment like that could go a long way in a retirement account, or perhaps as a down payment on a home. We’re not quite sure what the two have planned for their money, but there’s no denying that when the World Cup comes to an end, these two will have earned it.
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Chase is an Associate Editor for Wise Publishing. He formerly worked at Yahoo Canada as an editor on both the News and Sports teams.
