New research from The Trade Desk, an independent advertising technology company, and Appinio, finds that 60 per cent of Brits will follow the World Cup – enough to fill Wembley Stadium 460 times. The survey of 500 UK sports fans highlights the huge commercial opportunity the 2026 World Cup presents for brands and advertisers to capture the most engaged and attentive fans before, during and long after a game takes place. But it’s the brands that plan for it now and advertise on connected channels that can win this summer.
With the tournament hosted in North America, time differences will push many matches into unsociable slots for UK viewers. Fans won’t stay in front of one screen but will move between live viewing, catch-up TV, YouTube, streaming apps and social media to keep up. The Trade Desk’s data1 reflects this: 88 per cent of sports fans say they watch live sports on connected channels, including CTV, and 81 per cent of fans report using open internet sources, such as Sky Sports’ own website and BBC Sport’s news page, when they can’t watch a sporting event live.
The research found sports fans are 1.4x more likely to use an open internet channel than a walled garden to watch live sport – and connected channels are 1.3x more likely to make big sports moments more memorable than the walled gardens. Ad campaigns should be activated across the open internet, where the majority of UK sports fans will be watching live sports including the World Cup, if they want to reach the most engaged and attentive audiences.
The commercial opportunity will also be significant. Among those following the World Cup, 57 per cent will buy food or drink for matches, 53 per cent will stock up on alcohol, 30 per cent will order a delivery and 22 per cent plan a bigger supermarket shop than usual1.
Phil Duffield, VP Northern Europe at The Trade Desk commented: “Live sports is powerful precisely because it’s unpredictable. A single moment can change the mood of an entire nation in seconds. The brands that can benefit are those built to respond in real time, on the screens where fans are actually watching. Our data shows audiences are increasingly consuming live sport across the open internet and connected channels. Campaigns designed for flexibility – seamlessly activated across every screen – are best placed to turn those cultural moments into real commercial impact. Rigid strategies risk missing the moments that matter most.”
Share