The 2026 Soccer World Cup, which will be held between June 11 and July 19 in Mexico, the United States and Canada, will lead to an increase of $10.5 billion in global advertising investment, according to Warc forecasts. However, the consulting firm warns that the impact of this investment decreases in an increasingly fragmented media environment.

According to a recent company analysis of global advertising trends, the contribution of the international competition to advertising growth appears to be weakening, despite the fact that this edition will be the first to have 104 matches and 48 qualified teams. Although large audiences, an increase in broadcast rights and larger sponsorship packages are expected, the reality is that advertisers no longer compete in a single medium, but must interact with fans through various touchpoints before, during and after matches.

The impact on investment

The consulting firm points out that although the Soccer World Cup promises a boost of 40.9 billion dollars to the world’s GDP, according to FIFA’s expectations; its direct impact on ad spend growth is declining. Thus, this edition will represent a “modest” $10.5 billion increase in international advertising spending growth during the quarter in which the event is held.

The figure represents an increase of 1.1% compared to the World Cup in Qatar, which took place between November and December 2022, just a few months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and with the planet still mired in the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.

So the impact on the global advertising market during the quarter in which the event was held was -4.6% compared to the previous edition of the tournament. On the other hand, the 2018 Soccer World Cup, which took place precisely in Russia, boosted the global advertising market with 12.6 billion dollars, that is, an increase of 2.8% compared to the previous edition. The figure expected for this year is 2,000 million lower.

From Warc they point out that the growth of annual advertising spending during World Cup years is inconsistent, driven more by general economic cycles than by the tournament itself. He points out that the competition does not guarantee acceleration or performance above the usual market level, not even for the host countries.

According to the consulting firm’s forecasts, the effect of the event on advertising investment in the United States will be greater than on previous occasions, but modest. Thus, it indicates that, in the most positive years, the impact has ranged between 0.4% and 1% of total advertising spending.
As for Mexico, consider the forecast of approximately +4% as positive, although not exceptional for a host market.

Changes in audiences

Following the general market trend in recent years, the tournament’s audience on traditional television is expected to decrease as a result of greater multiplatform consumption. According to Warc, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar reached, on average, 2.87 billion people for at least one minute, but the medium’s overall reach fell by -11.9% compared to 2018.

The forecast is that this year’s edition will follow that trend, also aggravated by the strategic movements of FIFA, which has established agreements with TikTok and YouTube for the broadcast of key moments. With this, the organization seeks to contact new generations of fans and viewers, more present on digital platforms than in traditional media.

Furthermore, the distribution of the audience also varies. Although soccer is the most popular sport globally, with 51% of citizens identifying as fans, the tournament is not the same in all regions. During the World Cup in Qatar, viewership levels were highest in Africa, Latin America and the MENA region, with participation higher than the global average. In Europe, the largest audiences were concentrated in the United Kingdom and Germany.
On the other hand, this year an increase in viewership is expected in the United States, one of the host countries.

The particularity of the schedules

Due to the location of this year’s World Cup, a large part of the matches will take place at night for European countries, one of the main markets for soccer. This means that advertising opportunities during live broadcasts will be limited.

On the other hand, media and platforms that do not have retransmission rights can obtain advertising revenue through content based on summaries and comments, such as podcasts or social networks. For their part, brands from European and Asian markets can concentrate their investments in these types of spaces.
The situation also poses opportunities for brands in categories with restrictions, such as fast food in the United Kingdom, where its advertising hours on television have recently been limited.