Two fans traded full-time jobs for $50K to watch the World Cup while the world watched on social feeds. Now, they're opening up about what it cost

More than 6,000 people applied, but only two got the job: soccer superfans Kevin Akoto, 26, of Jacksonville, Florida, and Austin Franklin. It looked like they’d scored golden tickets to the FIFA event, and a golden opportunity to raise their status as sports influencers.

What was in it for Fox? To pull in younger viewers via the pair’s social media posts, as 41% of Gen Zers don’t watch live TV today. Akoto reportedly has 167,000 TikTok followers, and Franklin, 206,000.

“The more behind-the-scenes stuff is how people are consuming ​sports ⁠content,” Akoto told Reuters.

But Akoto and Franklin learned that all that glitters is not gold. Here’s what they lost in order to gain a social following.

The reality of being a social star

As the Washington Post revealed, Akoto and Franklin were thrust into public view in a glass box in Times Square every day of the World Cup.

They were literally “on” from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m., watching games and watching fans watching them through the glass walls. Including while they ate meals and snacks delivered to them.

“It makes you appreciate zoo and aquarium animals more,” Akoto told the New York Post, describing the situation as a ‘’fishbowl.”

On top of that, they had to generate non-stop social content. Their only breaks were running to a nearby bathroom, grabbing a meal with the Fox crew or some shut-eye at their hotel nearby.

“I’ve gotten worn down, Austin’s gotten a bit worn down,” Akoto told the BBC midway through the tournament.

“It is a total marathon,” Franklin added. “It’s a relatively easy job, I’m sitting on a couch watching football, but it has been tiresome and I’m making sure I’m getting my eight hours when I can.”

Many World Cup fans dropped thousands of dollars for individual matches, but Akoto dropped something more financially significant: his job as a line cook in Florida.

“At this time next week, I don’t know what I’ll be doing. That’s frightening,” he told the Post, adding that he planned to talk to his former employer about getting his job back.

Beware giving up your day job to become a full-time influencer

Giving up a secure salary for an uncertain career in content creation is financially risky. The Influencer Marketing Factory surveyed 1,000 content creators in the U.S. aged 18 to 65 for its 2026 Creator Economy Report.

While the average salary is $44,000 a year, nearly half (48.7%) of them reported making less than $10,000 in 2025. Another 45.6% earn between $10,000 and $100,000 with a small portion (5.7%) making more than $100,000 a year.