ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt has come up with a brilliant way to avoid copyright infringement when showing highlights from this year’s World Cup in Russia. Rather than risk getting his network sued by FOX, which owns the rights to the tournament coverage, Van Pelt is inviting kids to draw and submit their favorite World Cup moments. The results, as one would expect, are about as spectacular as the contest itself.
ESPN lost the rights to broadcast the 2018 and 2022 World Cup to their competitors at FOX back in 2011. And as such, the network isn’t allowed to show game highlights on SportsCenter or any other of its other shows.
“With limited/no World Cup video for our show, we will improvise. My daughter drew Saudi Arabia/Russia for last night,” Van Pelt tweeted. “Send your (kids?) art to #DrawTheWorldCup and we’ll pick a few each day.”
Unsurprisingly, the drawings are all cute as hell, but a bit of mixed bag. For example, one child is slowly coming to grips with the difference between football and fútbol while another drew what is easily the most carefree save by a goalie of all time (Messi’s miss). Another depicts one of the keepers in the Spain versus Portugal match looking as if the world is collapsing around him.
Iran vs Morocco by my 4 yr old Jaden. My wife told him soccer is called football most other places so he decided it needed a @chiefs arrowhead. #prouddad #chiefskingdom #DrawTheWorldCup pic.twitter.com/PHLF2b5Ppg
— Isaac Simmonds (@Kcike1) June 15, 2018
@notthefakeSVP My 11 year-old son, Landon immortalized @Cristiano and his game tying goal today at the #WorldCupRussia2018 for your Sports Center highlights tonight.⚽️#drawtheworldcup pic.twitter.com/nclhA6VWb2
— Brian Patterson (@BCPdsm) June 16, 2018
@notthefakeSVP not only am I prompting tonight's show, but my little sister is creating content. Here's Ronaldo scoring against Spain #DrawTheWorldCup pic.twitter.com/NdstfdiUwL
— scott anderson (@scootsnladders) June 15, 2018
If ESPN keeps this up, “the world cup soccer” will surely be even more entertaining moving forward.
@notthefakeSVP #drawtheworldcup 6 year old Mason's drawing pic.twitter.com/VgnMRc6Hl1
— Ike Pelton (@OIpelton9) June 20, 2018
@notthefakeSVP #DrawtheWorldCup pic.twitter.com/ARruxKl9Yf
— Aaron Rios (@therios) June 20, 2018
World Cup from my son’s point of view. #drawtheworldcup #espn #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/ITh6znxgLI
— Chuck Sawyers (@one_hokie) June 19, 2018
