All eyes were on Monday’s Copa América clash between USA and Uruguay from Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium.
They did not like what they saw.
From the opening moments of Uruguay’s 1-0 win that eliminated USA in group play, the broadcast on Fox drew visceral reaction on social media from viewers noting the less-than-professional presentation of a high-stakes international soccer game.
The problem? The camera angle was off. Way off.
Rather than a standard lower angle that allows viewers to actually identify the players on the field, this game looked on TV as if it was being broadcast from a drone or a blimp high above the playing field. The reaction was so intense that Fox play-by-play announcer Stu Holden addressed it minutes into the game. He placed the blame on the CONMEBOL world feed that feeds video to the Fox broadcast.
Here’s a look at the broadcast alongside Holden’s commentary:
“This is not a stadium for ants,” Holden joked. “This is a very high camera angle for the CONMEBOL world feed. … For the tactics junkies, I’m sure this is great.”
For comparison, here’s a screenshot of the broadcast from Monday’s other Copa América game between Bolivia and Panama from Orlando. This is what a soccer broadcast is supposed to look like:
The jokes were fast and furious on social media with some suggesting that the camera angle was from the moon:
Fox’s overhead camera angle for US-Uruguay appears to be on the moon.
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) July 2, 2024
Or on drugs:
THIS CAMERA ANGLE IS ON DRUGS
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) July 2, 2024
Or from a blimp:
Why are they using a blimp as the main overhead camera for USA-Uruguay?
— Colin Deaver (@ColinDeaverTV) July 2, 2024
The Goodyear Blimp chimed in and confirmed that it was, in fact, not providing the much-chastised feed:
Not sure if we should be flattered or offended but to answer all of you at once: no, we are not covering the USMNT game tonight.
— Goodyear Blimp (@GoodyearBlimp) July 2, 2024
The jokes kept coming with references to video games, “Zoolander,” and All-22 feeds used by football coaches and analysts to watch every player on the field at once:
This is an incredible Football Manager camera angle
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) July 2, 2024
kinda looks like FOX is broadcasting this game from where the chiefs film their all-22 lol https://t.co/VkYnCpXmvh
— charles (“you look good” – andy reid) mcdonald (@FourVerts) July 2, 2024
What’s up with Fox’s video game camera angle?
— Joe Lago (@joelago) July 2, 2024
Sorry, soccer fans. This camera angle is meant for touchdown passes from Patrick Mahomes to Travis Kelce, not #USMNT and Uruguay.
— Safid Deen 💯💯💯💯 (@Safid_Deen) July 2, 2024
Is the overhead camera in the US- Uruguay soccer game positioned on the space station?
— Paul Schwartz (@NYPost_Schwartz) July 2, 2024
Camera angle for this USA game at Arrowhead is from Jordan Love’s mom’s seat
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) July 2, 2024
Biggest US game of the cycle and we are watching from a drone floating just off the second Ring of Uranus. If you love this team and suffer from Vertigo, you are going to face a long, long night
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) July 2, 2024
I may have successfully talked my wife into a new gigantic TV. Thanks #USMNT!
— Brett Bensley (@brettbensley) July 2, 2024
By the 39th minute, Fox had heard enough. The broadcast abruptly switched to a more traditional angle at the 38:31 mark with the game tied at 0-0.
Social media approved:
NEW CAMERA ANGLE. I REPEAT. NEW CAMERA ANGLE.
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) July 2, 2024
Did Twitter just bully CONMEBOL into finding a new camera angle 40 minutes into the game? Interesting
— Johannes Schneider (@jocoolwu) July 2, 2024