Fox Sports is entering its most important month of the year as the network prepares to broadcast Super Bowl LIX from New Orleans.
The game comes at a precarious moment for Fox, which last week found itself at the center of a bombshell lawsuit alleging widespread workplace misconduct among on-air talent and executives towards lower-level employees. The lawsuit was first reported by Front Office Sports.
Now, FOS is reporting that there is a level of concern at the network as the Super Bowl broadcast approaches next month. A source close to Fox told FOS, “The last thing they want is for [the lawsuit] to become a distraction in New Orleans.”
The spotlight that is naturally placed on the Super Bowl broadcaster could become sticky for Fox should there not be more information or clarity surrounding the lawsuit in the coming month. Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks, who was named in the lawsuit but not listed as a defendant, will likely be made available for the annual pre-Super Bowl press conference, as is typical for a network’s top executive the week of the Big Game.
There, Shanks could be asked any number of questions regarding the lawsuit. Such storylines would cast negative attention on the broadcaster during a week typically reserved for celebration.
In speaking to FOS, crisis PR consultant Mike Paul suggested that Fox should seek a settlement prior to the Super Bowl to avoid any additional negative press.
“They can’t make it go away [on their own],” Paul told FOS. “But they can seek to minimize it by getting it done first. Then they can use the excuse, ‘We have confidentiality agreements; we can’t talk about it.'”
Another source of distraction could be the on-site studio programming that networks typically setup in the week leading up to the Super Bowl. Joy Taylor, host of FS1’s Speak and a defendant in the lawsuit, has found herself firmly in the crosshairs of criticism on social media. If she were to host her show in a public forum next month, that could create an unwanted viral moment for Fox.
This lawsuit really could not have dropped at a worse time for Fox Sports. They have less than a month to address it before being subjected to the spotlight that the Super Bowl brings on its broadcaster.
However the network decides to handle it, there’s no doubt it’ll be an undesired talking point at this year’s Super Bowl.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.