In all likelihood it would be more suitable for the USA to adopt FIFA conventions. FIFA tournaments are astronomically more popular worldwide than any US sports. Even the USA-Portugal game had higher viewing figures in the USA than the World Series and the NBA finals.
Skipping the World Cup for a second...in 2011 the Premier League was broadcast in 212 territories around the world, working with 80 different broadcasters. The TV audience for Premier League games is 4.7 BILLION , and the number of homes reached last season increased 11 per cent to 643m.
It's a bit arrogant to assume some of the best UX designers in the world have not been hired to design and test the experience for a global audience. TV has forgotten more than the Web knows about user experience.