Fox Sports is about to kick off its World Cup team-up with Sesame Street.
Timed to mark 30 days before the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Fox Sports is set to collaborate with Sesame Workshop‘s long-running children’s show, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. The collaboration begins Tuesday and will see the Sesame Street characters integrated into Fox Sports’ World Cup programming with special content segments.
Elmo, Cookie Monster and Big Bird are among the show’s personalities who will appear during the programming and World Cup telecasts on Fox Sports, which is the U.S. home for English-language broadcasts of the soccer tournament. The segments will include “The Count Down” with Count von Count analyzing statistics from the tournament, “Trash Talk” with Oscar the Grouch offering a satirical highlight round-up, and “Broadcaster Bootcamp” that allows Grover to learn from Fox Sports personalities about the nuances of broadcasting a game.
“We couldn’t be more excited to be working with one of the most adored children’s franchises in the world for FIFA World Cup 2026,” says Fox Sports vp of production Zac Kenworthy in a statement. “By collaborating with Sesame Street, we’re adding a fun and educational element that brings families together around the Fox Sports viewing experience.”
Adds Sesame Workshop vp of marketing and brand strategy Samantha Kennedy, “The World Cup is one of the biggest cultural moments of the year, and a powerful opportunity to engage families with our beloved Sesame Street characters in new and unexpected ways. Through this collaboration with Fox Sports, we’re creating memorable moments that resonate with families and fans of all ages — all in service of our nonprofit mission to help children grow smarter, stronger and kinder.”
Additionally, Cookie Monster expressed his own unique excitement for the collaboration: “Me been told you can’t use your hands in soccer so me been practicing eating cookies without me hands to get ready for the World Cup.”
The 2026 World Cup takes place in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Spanning 140 tournament matches, it runs June 11-July 19.
Original Article on Hollywood Reporter