Two Americans land $50,000 summer job watching all 104 World Cup matches from a glass box in Times Square

The dream job

When Fox Sports and Indeed posted a promotional opening for two "chief World Cup watchers", thousands of fans sent in video applications. The winners were Austin Franklin, a 29-year-old digital influencer from the Philadelphia area, and Kevin Akoto, 26, from Florida. Their task is to watch every one of the tournament's 104 matches inside a glass-walled living-room set on Times Square, while creating social-media content and interacting with the crowds outside.

It's been a bit like the Truman Show. Sometimes I forget we're here. I'll get zoned into the game for minutes, and when I look over I see people up against the glass.

Sacrifices for the role

Akoto took the gig seriously enough to leave his restaurant job and end his relationship. "The boss took it well, the other person a little less so, but that's fine," he told Le Figaro. Franklin, already a content creator, had an easier transition, though both now live in a New York hotel between shifts; the studio has no bathroom, so the 15-minute half-time break becomes a sprint to the nearest restroom.

A glass box on Times Square

The set is a surreal slice of a living room: two sofas face large TV screens, artificial grass covers the floor, and scarves of the competing teams dress the walls. Passersby press against the glass, often asking the same question. "The most common one is, 'Where do you go to the bathroom?'" Franklin said.

Emotional payoff

On the opening day, when Mexico beat South Africa, Franklin noticed a woman sitting behind the glass for the full 90 minutes. After the match he thanked her and received a long hug. She told him she was born in Mexico, had moved to New York, and used to watch every national-team game with her father, who died a few years ago. Akoto, a self-described pessimist, says the emotional highs make up for the duller matches. His highlight so far was Portugal's 5-0 win over Uzbekistan, during which Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first two goals of the tournament; Akoto wore a Portugal cap and had assembled a Lego "CR7" figure.

The pay packet

For 39 days of watching and reacting, each man will collect about $50,000. That works out to roughly $480 per match, or about $280 an hour given the typical 90-minute-plus contest. The money comes from Fox Sports, which is using the stunt to promote its World Cup coverage.