Here’s what a bigger — and more fractured — 2026 World Cup means for advertisers

For advertisers, the challenge is not whether people will watch; it is where they watch, how they move between platforms and how quickly plans need to adapt. Fragmentation is no longer an edge case; it is the operating environment, and marketing strategies have to be built with that reality in mind.

While broadcast rights still anchor distribution for an event like the World Cup, rights alone no longer guarantee predictable reach. Viewers may start with the primary broadcaster, but how they discover matches, shift between devices and supplement live viewing now varies widely. Many fans are building hybrid viewing habits across linear TV, broadcaster apps and virtual multichannel video programming distributors, even when the rights holder is clear. Research conducted by Nexxen reflects this behavior, with a significant share of intended World Cup viewers saying streaming will play a central role in how they watch.

Another layer of fragmentation sits outside the live match itself. Soccer has a structurally lighter ad load than many U.S. sports. There are no commercial breaks during play, and far fewer in-game advertising opportunities than, say, an NFL broadcast. As a result, much of the advertising opportunity shifts to pre-game, post-game, highlights, analysis and ancillary coverage.

None of this is a reason to be pessimistic about the World Cup. Live sports remain the most consistent driver of real-time, appointment viewing on television, even as other forms of live programming continue to decline. Millions of Americans still tune into prime-time television each week, but those audiences have steadily eroded over the last several years. Sports, by contrast, have maintained their ability to bring large groups of viewers together at a specific moment. That consistency is precisely why sports remain so valuable; what has changed is that the era of “set it and forget it” buying is over, and demand-side platform- or DSP-driven optimization is now table stakes. 

In an ideal world, advertisers would build fully fluid, week-to-week portfolio plans across every screen. In practice, major tentpoles like the World Cup require firm commitments to (and significant spend on) both linear TV and digital inventory just to be present. The real strategic advantage comes from how brands use the remaining budget to surround the event. That includes retargeting viewers of marquee matches, extending reach among fans who did not tune in live and using DSPs to identify pockets of incremental audiences across streaming, vMVPDs, home screen units and companion content. For many buyers, that might mean committing to key group stage or knockout matches, then using the rest of their budget to follow engaged viewers into highlights, analysis and other related programming as the tournament unfolds.

This approach is especially important for small or mid-sized brands that choose not to invest directly in the matches themselves (or may not be able to, due to cost). The World Cup creates a highly engaged fan base that actively seeks out content before, during and after games, giving DSPs a bigger role in helping advertisers stay fluid as viewing shifts. Nexxen research shows that 43% of expected viewers plan to watch via streaming services, and that audience mobility increases when content becomes easier to access. This behavior creates meaningful opportunities across linear, CTV, mobile and other ad-supported environments to reach fans without owning in-game inventory.

It also creates opportunities earlier in the viewing journey. Smart TV home screens, for instance, allow brands to reach viewers the moment they turn on their television and decide what to watch. These placements can capture attention before a fan ever lands in a live match, streaming app or highlight clip, making them a useful complement to more traditional video strategies.

Frequency and sequencing matter more in this environment as well. In a splintered market, the risk is not just missing people — it’s paying to reach the same heavy viewers repeatedly while under-reaching everyone else. Advertisers should set cross-screen frequency guardrails, plan creative sequencing intentionally and preserve flexibility in their budgets to respond to breakout matches or unexpected shifts in viewing behavior as the tournament progresses.

Finally, measurement has to be designed up front. Success will not be defined by whether a brand bought a specific match, but rather by who was reached, how often and what happened next. Incremental reach and downstream outcomes matter more than any single placement.

Ultimately, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will prove that the new competitive advantage is agility, not access. Winning brands will be those that plan for fragmentation as the default, build flexibility into their media strategies and treat viewing behavior as something to anticipate rather than take for granted. The trophy will not go to the loudest advertiser; it will go to the smartest planner.

Partner insights from Nexxen