WASHINGTON — After the White House complained Friday that the Fox Corporation “cancelled” a traditional pre-show Super Bowl interview with President Joe Biden, the company said the interview was back on.

“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,” a Fox Corporation spokesperson said in a statement shortly after the White House press secretary tweeted about the cancellation.

Earlier Friday, Karine Jean-Pierre wrote on Twitter, “The President was looking forward to an interview with Fox Soul to discuss the Super Bowl, the State of the Union, and critical issues impacting the everyday lives of Black Americans. We’ve been informed that Fox Corp has asked for the interview to be cancelled.”

The Super Bowl sit-down goes back decades, including under Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. The interview, which often touches on lighter topics suitable for a mass football audience, became a regular occurrence under then-President Barack Obama. Donald Trump also participated in the interview every year other than 2018. NBC was the host network for the game that year.

Fox is airing the 2023 Super Bowl, which takes place this weekend in Phoenix between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.

Fox Soul is a streaming network within the company, which is described on its website as “a new live and interactive streaming channel dedicated to the African American viewer. The programs aim to celebrate black culture and deal with real topics that impact the everyday lives of the black community through frank and insightful dialogue with local and national influencers.”

A Fox Corporation spokesperson said the interview will be conducted by actress Vivica A. Fox, who’s the host of Fox Soul’s “Cocktails with Queens” and “Fox Soul’s Screening Room,” and Mike Hill, a Fox Soul personality and contributor and FS1 sportscaster.

Biden previously sat for Super Bowl interviews in 2021 with CBS’s Norah O’Donnell and in 2022 with NBC’s Lester Holt.

Rebecca Shabad

Rebecca Shabad is a politics reporter for NBC News based in Washington.

Adam Reiss

Adam Reiss is a reporter and producer for NBC and MSNBC.

Kelly O’Donnell, Sally Bronston, Dareh Gregorian and Allie Raffa contributed.