Why brands are bringing creators to the World Cup sidelines 

“The U.S. is not the most soccer-loving country, but that breeds an incredible opportunity for brands and content creators to bring exposure,” said Paul Coggiola, president of creators at LIFT Management.

Coggiola said he’s seen brand inquiries to activate creators at every host city, and stressed that the smaller cities like Kansas City provide strong opportunities to corner the World Cup creator market. 

Travel and tourism brands are among the most active users of this strategy. They’ve tapped local creators to drum up interest for the host cities, said Dan Holowack, CEO of travel marketing platform CrowdRiff, which has its own managed content creator service. Visit California, Visit LA, Travel San Francisco, and Brand USA tasked CrowdRiff with providing authentic, local microcreators.

“Local creators are the most genuine, because they know not just the venue, but the community, the neighborhood, the spots off the beaten path,” said Holowack. “They’re in the thick of it, capturing that cross-cultural collision, those heartwarming stories of people all over the world coming together.” 

The goal is two-fold: convince people who are already in town for the tournament to stay longer, or inspire future visits. Cities that aren’t even hosting a game have hired CrowdRiff and its army of micro creators — 20 cities in total. 

Big cities, big creator activations

Brands are also heading to the host cities with creators in tow, using them to front large-scale World Cup activations.

Massive, multi-city activations aren’t cheap, though. None of the brands Digiday spoke with would confirm budgets, but Scott Sutton, CEO of influencer marketing platform Later, shed some light on costs. “You probably need to be in the eight- to nine-figure range for a major in-person activation that captivates the general public in a meaningful way,” Sutton said. “Experiential is really just a vehicle to create published content on social.”

That means that the ROI is more nebulous. Brands can track hashtags and posts on social media, but measuring just how much you are part of the cultural conversation is far more difficult. That said, the power of the creator economy has made justifying these expensive endeavors easier — and the heterogeneity of the audience tuning into the World Cup means more brands can successfully activate there.

“Why are we doing the World Cup? Because everyone is talking about it, whether you’re a fan or not,” said Charlene Patten, CMO of beauty brand Not Your Mother’s. The brand created a casita-themed pop-up in Miami and brought creators to a match in the same city, driven by the promise of UGC at the events and the awareness that content would bring to the brand.

“It’s a conversation play, it’s a connection play … it’s not about hardcore ROI at all,” Patten said. “We see ourselves on the edge of culture, and this is a moment to do that, and importantly, in a way that women often haven’t been invited into.”

Activations at the World Cup highlight the industry’s shift away from purely transactional creator marketing. Upfluence CEO Vivien Garnès explained why more companies are embracing the expensive creator activation.

“Brands are looking for cultural relevance, content creation, and measurable engagement. Unlike traditional sponsorships, creator activations can generate dozens of pieces of content, extend well beyond match day, and continue driving value across social, paid media, and owned channels,” Garnès said. “They’re also becoming easier to measure through social commerce, affiliate links, creator codes, and other performance-focused tracking methods.”

Creators on the sidelines

Giving creators access to the sidelines helps bring millions of people who can’t attend the games in-person right up to the pitch. 

Team Whistle, sports platform DAZN’s entertainment company, partnered with Snap for a World Cup creator program that includes Alex Earl and Ocky Way. 

“The World Cup is one of the few events that still commands truly global attention, but the way people follow it has fundamentally changed … They’re watching matches, following creators, engaging in group chats, and discovering moments through social platforms all at the same time,” said Joe Caporoso, president at Team Whistle. “[Creators can] meet fans where they’re already spending time and extend the World Cup experience beyond the 90 minutes of play. For brands, leagues, and media companies, that’s increasingly where fandom is being built.” 

Building that fandom is why TikTok partnered with FIFA to send 30 creator correspondents to games, after working with the soccer giant for the Women’s World Cup a few years ago. FIFA currently has 16 million followers on the platform.

“They came to us with ambitious goals,” said Rollo Goldstaub, global head of sport at TikTok. “Grow awareness, drive tune-in, and expand the global fanbase. We’re measuring success not just in views and reach, but in cultural resonance. Are people talking about this? Are new fans being created? The type of metrics TikTok is uniquely positioned to drive.”

It helps that the concrete metrics are performing as well, with U.S.-based searches for “World Cup” increasing by more than 320% and “FIFA World Cup” increasing by more than 250% on the platform since the start of the tournament, according to a Twitch spokesperson.. Official broadcasters have posted more than 44,000 pieces of content since the start of the tournament, with #WorldCup posts increasing by almost 60% in the last few weeks.

TikTok creators Simone Scott and Cody Nyugen told Digiday that the level of access FIFA has afforded them (which includes access to training sessions, press conferences, warm-ups, and field-side views of games) has improved the quality of their content and their engagement. 

“There’s more engagement for the World Cup itself, but on top of that, the access that I’m able to have brings more viewers and more engagement, and they’re more amped up and more hyped up,” Nyugen said.

Both creators told Digiday they’re expected to post five pieces of content from every game, and FIFA has to approve it — but they don’t feel restricted or forced in their content creation. Scott’s posts include videos of her on the pitch or sitting on team benches post-game, while Nyugen has conducted interviews with the U.S. Men’s National Team and other professional players.

“People watch games on two screens: you have your main broadcast and you have your phone in your hand … we’re the supplemental part,” Scott said. “I’m very nosy and curious, so things that you maybe want to know but don’t have time to go over, that’s where I come into play.”

TikTokers’ videos add a different dimension to World Cup coverage, offering viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the tournament that feels more casual and approachable than traditional sports broadcasts.

Garnès summed it up succinctly: “Broadcasts show the match. Creators show the experience.”