Following a moment of “confusion” on Fox Corp’s part — which led to reports of the media company cancelling its Super Bowl Sunday interview with President Biden — it is now confirmed that the sitting POTUS will give the big get to Fox Soul, a streaming channel “dedicated to the African American viewer” and owned by FOX Television Stations.
Traditionally, and typically taped the Friday before the Big Game, the president of the United States sits for a brief interview with the network that is airing that year’s Super Bowl, or its news-focused arm. With Fox airing the Chiefs-Eagles showdown this Sunday, it was expected to be Fox News Channel’s turn to speak with the president.
On Friday morning, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre issued a statement saying that Fox Corp had cancelled the op after Biden — who as POTUS has never granted an interview to Fox News — requested to instead speak with Fox Soul.
“The President was looking forward to an interview with Fox Soul to discuss the Super Bowl, the State of the Union, and critical issues impacting the everyday lives of Black Americans,” Jean-Pierre tweeted out on Friday. “We’ve been informed that Fox Corp has asked for the interview to be cancelled.”
But hours later, a Fox Corp spokesperson issued a statement saying that the interview was back on, with Fox Soul.
“After the White House reached out to Fox Soul Thursday evening, there was some initial confusion,” said the spokesperson. “Fox Soul looks forward to interviewing the President for Super Bowl Sunday.”
Biden would not have been the first president of the United States to not give a Super Bowl Sunday interview. As recently as 2018, then-President Trump declined to sit down with NBC News’ Lester Holt when NBC hosted that year’s Super Bowl.
Meanwhile, Fox News Channel proper, in recent years where Fox hosted the Super Bowl, has interviewed President Obama (in 2011 and 2014) and President Trump (in 2017 and 2020).
