More than 62 million people tuned in to the FIFA World Cup final on Sunday, July 19, 2026, with nearly 39 million watching on FOX Sports alone. With all the action happening on the field over the past six weeks, it is easy to forget the team behind the scenes making certain all 104 matches were broadcast with perfection. Enter Biola University alumnus Jonathan Kim (B.A. ’26), a key player in digitally capturing the 2026 FIFA World Cup through FOX Sports’ social media platforms. 

image shows Jonathan Kim in FOX Studios
Jonathan Kim in FOX Studios

Contracted as a fast-turnaround video editor, Kim would quickly and meticulously edit highlight videos to be posted on FOX Sports social media platforms. When clipping live game moments, he sometimes had only five minutes to turn around the final product. FOX’s system could pull more than 10 angles of the same play, so Kim and his colleagues could edit quickly and efficiently, with most of his videos being finished in under an hour.

“My experience with FOX Sports for the World Cup has been challenging, rewarding and fun, all at the same time. It's an incredibly fast-paced environment, so it tests my speed as a video editor while also making me even faster than I was before,” said Kim. “The most rewarding part of my position is seeing my work posted on the FOX Sports and/or FOX Soccer social media pages. Some of my videos have hit millions of views, and it's really cool to be able to say that I contributed to the 17.2 billion content views on FOX Sports' digital and social platforms.”

The opportunity came with its own challenges, requiring long hours and perseverance.

“The most difficult part of my position was working 15 hours a day for two months straight, with a couple of days off here and there,” said Kim. “But I grew in endurance, and I get to say that I worked the 2026 FIFA World Cup!”

image shows an office view
An office view from Jonathan's perspective

Kim graduated from the Snyder School of Cinema & Media Arts (CMA) with a Bachelor of Arts in Cinema and Media Arts with a concentration in cinematography in May 2026. The Snyder School emphasizes developing students in both craft and character, which Kim and his leadership team noticed as one of his strengths while working during the World Cup.

“One of the biggest things that Biola, more specifically CMA, teaches is to do excellent work as a Christian. My professors taught me that excellence in the gifts that God gave us is a way to honor God and represent Him well,” said Kim. “That kind of work ethic helped me during my time at FOX Sports for the World Cup. My boss told me that I was reliable, and a lot of producers trusted me to do fast and good work, sometimes even over some of the full-time employees there.”

He saw his faith seeping into his work, as did his coworkers. Just last week, Kim had the chance to share his faith with two of his colleagues.

“I actually had the chance to hang out after work with two of my co-workers, where we talked for about four hours maybe, and we talked about faith, and I got to share how Jesus changed my life. My coworkers always tell me that I am so positive and so kind, and I've had the chance to share how that is connected with Jesus.”

Kim’s influence in the sports media and social media industries is just beginning to grow, with more on the horizon.

“Because of this job and the experience that I got, I actually just accepted a contract position with CBS Sports as a video editor to work on the UEFA Champions League, which I'm stoked about,” said Kim. “Along with that, I'm almost at 100,000 on Instagram, where I document what it takes to build a creative career in my 20s, and I plan to embark on YouTube soon as well.”

Snyder School of Cinema & Media Arts alumni have achieved career success in a wide range of roles, from movies to streaming series to game design and more. Learn more and apply today for the opportunity to join the hundreds of successful alumni.

Written by Sarah Dougher, strategic communication manager. For more information, email beacon@biola.edu.