Rob Gronkowski doesn’t know a lot about soccer, but he’s going to learn about the sport in a new show coming to your TV screens soon. And, he’ll be joined by the camera-savvy Jameis Winston, as FOX attempts to bridge the gap between football and soccer.

FOX announced that the two NFL stars will co-host The Other Football on Tubi, a special series designed as an introduction to the global soccer culture, in light of the FIFA World Cup coming to American soil. Episodes will feature celebrity interviews, soccer stars, fan culture, comedy segments, and conversations surrounding the tournament. The show will be launched by Tom Brady’s Shadow Lion production company.

“Jameis and I know football, now it’s time to learn ‘The Other Football,’” Gronkowski said in a statement about the show. “We’re jumping into the world of soccer with experts and awesome guests, and hopefully by the end of the series, we’ll actually know what we’re talking about.”

“Partnering with Gronk on ‘The Other Football’ has been an absolute blessing and a whole lot of fun. I’m excited to learn the beautiful game, connect with incredible guests, and bring energy, joy, laughter and passion to everyone watching on Tubi. We’re going to have a blast embracing soccer and celebrating the fans all around the world.” Winston added.

The series will also feature an extensive lineup of guests outside of the NFL world. Confirmed appearances include Keegan-Michael Key, Brendan Hunt from Ted Lasso, and U.S. soccer players Weston McKennie and Matt Turner.

Soccer will need to rely on these big names because the pigskin is more common in American homes than the globally recognized ‘football.’ This is an experiment worth keeping an eye on, as FOX will be broadcasting the World Cup in the country. The network has chalked out a plan to try to introduce soccer to more homes in America.

However, there is a serious market for soccer in the country. According to a study conducted by Ampere Analysis, soccer is the third-most popular sport in America, after football and basketball. It has pushed baseball to the 4th position. The English Premier League recorded 36.2 million American viewers in 2024, and made up 72% of the total viewership, per a study conducted by SBRNet.

Along with this new show, Tubi will also be running the 2026 World Cup FOX Hub, which is described as a hub for FOX’s programming for the tournament. The platform will also simulcast two matches: Mexico vs South Africa and USA vs Paraguay. If this manages to move the needle among fans for soccer, perhaps Gronkowski and Winston could return with this show.

Why Jameis Winston and Rob Gronkowski make sense for this show

Gronkowski has already built a name for himself as a regular on FOX NFL Sunday. His role gained more prominence following the retirement of longtime host Jimmy Johnson. The former New England Patriots tight end has been deployed almost everywhere by FOX, like the Indy 500 last year as Snake Pit Grand Marshal, and a guest on the reality show ‘Masked Singer.’ With the network standing at the threshold of what could be a watershed moment for soccer in America, they might be able to tap into the gap between the football audience and soccer with him being on the show.

Winston, on the other hand, seems to have a bigger role. On May 7, the former Giants QB was announced by the network as a World Cup correspondent, joining stars like Zlatan Ibrahimović, Thierry Henry, and Javier Hernández. FOX made quite a show of the announcement, with Winston breaking the news to his Giants teammates. And with Winston already being a much-loved figure on the network, it made sense to pair him up with Gronk.

Notably, he joined Gronk on the panel of FOX NFL Kickoff last season, giving the network a glimpse of what the pair could bring together.

Gronk and Winston are two peas in the same pod. They are both loud, colorful, larger-than-life personalities on and off the field. The fans seem to love them, and they’re never too far away from a viral moment. Since soccer is still a new territory for American broadcasting, using the two gridiron stars as a launch pad to make this fun for the audiences.