White House says Fox Corp cancelled Biden’s Super Bowl interview with Fox Soul, but the network says it will happen after ‘initial confusion’

Fox Corp asked to cancel a Super Bowl interview with President Joe Biden, the White House said.

Biden was to speak on Fox Soul, a digital television network operated by Fox Television.

Fox Corp says, after ‘initial confusion,’ the interview is happening, but the White House hasn’t confirmed that.

It’s unclear whether President Joe Biden will participate in a traditional Super Bowl pre-game interview Sunday.

Fox Corporation says that, after «some initial confusion,» the interview is happening on Fox Soul, a digital television network «dedicated to the African American viewer» operated by FOX Television Stations.

But the White House said Friday that Fox Corporation cancelled his interview and the press team has not confirmed that he will participate.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Friday tweeted that Biden was looking forward to discussing the Super Bowl, the State of the Union, and «critical issues impacting the everyday lives of Black Americans» during the interview.

«We’ve been informed that Fox Corp has asked for the interview to be cancelled,» Jean-Pierre tweeted.

Fox Corp, when asked to comment, responded with a statement: «After the White House reached out to FOX Soul Thursday evening, there was some initial confusion. FOX Soul looks forward to interviewing the President for Super Bowl Sunday.»

It’s customary for the president to give an interview to the network broadcasting the Super Bowl on the day of the game. In 2018, former President Donald Trump declined an interview with NBC News.

On Thursday, CNN reported that Biden had not yet committed to a pre-Super Bowl interview with Fox News, quoting a source at the channel familiar with the matter. Since Fox is airing the Super Bowl, the interview by tradition would go to Fox News.

Biden has not granted the right-leaning network an interview during his presidency, CNN noted.

Lester Holt of NBC News interviewed Biden in 2022 and Norah O’Donnell of CBS in 2021 before the Super Bowl.