With a bigger tournament hosted by three different nations, with different rules and regulations, how can marketers tap into what could be the biggest revenue driver for their brands.

The FIFA World Cup is often dubbed the golden stage for brands, and the 2026 tournament promises to be like no other. The expanded format will see 48 nations participating, meaning more matches and an unprecedented global audience. Add to that, the event will be hosted by three countries for the first time in history.

The sheer scale of the event is creating a powerful platform for brands, sponsors, and even sportsbooks. Magna projects global ad sales to rise by 6.3% in 2026, partly spurred by major sporting events including the World Cup and the Winter Olympics.

FIFA is anticipating revenue to hit $8.91 billion in 2026 alone, with the total amount over the four year cycle nearly doubling to between $11-13 billion. Revenue from sponsorships are expected to come in at $1.79 billion in 2026 and $2.69 billion in the four years since 2023.

“The 2026 World Cup will be the most streamed and the most interactive tournament in history,” says Tony Marlow, chief marketing officer at LG Ad Solutions. “Fans will move between broadcasters, streaming apps, home screen tiles, and real-time stats for every match. That creates more moments of engagement than ever before.”

Brands and sportsbooks are already moving to capitalise on the commercial opportunities the 2026 World Cup will bring, adds Thomas Ives, director and cofounder of RAAS Labs – an agentic adtech platform.

“Anytime America gets its hands on an event, it’s just this extra level of spectacular. We’re getting a lot of briefs from brands looking to niche and specific sponsorship as well as amplifying their sponsorships,” he adds.

It’s no longer “just enough to sponsor a player”. Agencies and networks want “even more eyeballs on their advertising, they want to shout they have a partnership in place”, Ives explains, because “players now have become so influential” in purchasing decisions.

Creating a cultural heartbeat

But while the 2026 World Cup offers more revenue opportunities than ever before, it also brings significant challenges. Hosting the tournament across three countries introduces differing languages, cultural nuances and regulatory frameworks, which adds another layer of complexity alongside the usual logistical demands.

“When you have one nation hosting the World Cup, it creates a cultural heartbeat for that country – and not just during the tournament, but in the two or three years building up to it, if not more,” says Steve Martin, founder of sports marketing shop, MSQ Sports and Entertainment.

“It’s easier for brands to market, to communicate and connect with one audience. But Mexico is incredibly different to the US; and the US is incredibly different to Canada. You could get it spectacularly wrong if you think it will be a one-sizef its-all approach.

“Brands will need to do their homework on the audience, where the venues are and the fan bases around that… where are they watching, seeing, learning and sharing. Strategically, brands will need to invest upfront, you can’t just turn up and do things very tactically,” he explains.

But it’s not just about the host nations, brands in local markets have a huge opportunity to engage with the forthcoming tournament.

“The cost of sponsorship packages have been going up and up,” Ives tells Affiliate Leaders. “The way we’re seeing football confederations in different countries monetise the game, making packages specific to the market is insane.

“It’s actually something Manchester United pioneered a few years ago,” he says as an aside. “But with all the digital technologies that now exist, such as pitch-side replacement where you can change what the audience sees on the boards at the side of the pitch, means there’s an opportunity to charge even more.”

“The 2026 World Cup will be the most streamed and the most interactive tournament in history”

Tony Marlow, LG Ad Solutions

Sportsbooks gain a platform on world stage

Pitch-side replacement was used for the first time in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup. FIFA allowed sports betting company Betano – its first ever gambling sponsor – to become a regional sponsor in Europe, which sparked controversy.

The last-minute deal placed the sportsbook’s branding on interview backdrops for European teams and on pitchside LED boards. It also reignited the debate over the ethics of gambling sponsorship in football, with critics warning such visibility risks normalising an industry linked to addiction, fraud, matchf ixing and other criminal activity.

Despite the controversy, Betano went on to become the official betting partner in Latin America for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.

It’s no surprise when it comes to betting and gambling, governing bodies “tiptoe around it”, Martin claims, especially because of the different regulations around advertising. “But since they announced the World Cup across these countries, it’s been opening up a lot.”

In the US, different states have been opening up to betting; in Canada, Ontario has relaxed some of its restrictions; while in Mexico, opposition deputies have been attempting to repeal the country’s archaic gambling laws.

Meanwhile in Europe, “the whole tone of sponsorship is going in reverse”, says Martin, describing it as a “juxtaposition”, when looking at the Premier League, for example, which has been taking betting brands off the shirts.

Marlow sums up just how regulation varies across the regions: “The UK will focus on data protection and audience safeguards. The US will layer in a complex map of state-bystate rules around gambling and real-time betting prompts. Australia will continue to have stricter limits on inducements, youth exposure, and timing.

“Understanding these differences is essential, but so is understanding each region’s cultural energy. The passion for the sport differs. The appetite for betting differs. Even the second screen habits differ,” he explains.

Tapping into the viewing experience

While sports betting is expected to be more embedded in the viewing experience at this World Cup than in previous editions, Ives notes that international tournaments tend to be less valuable for acquiring long-term customers, as they attract a higher proportion of “casual fans”.

“But it’s a great time for brand recognition,” he believes. “Paddy Power is a great example in the UK with the work they’ve done with Peter Crouch to stand out at World Cup time. They bring themselves into the natural sports conversation so it creates a longer lasting impact.”

Marketers should treat “every country as its own campaign”, he says, suggesting running ads in different Tony Marlow languages other than the native in host markets, as well as catering for tourists using retail media at airports or activations in local areas.

“[…] And it’s looking at which of the channels can your brand stand out in; which of the channels will provide me with an opportunity to do something different to my competitor?” For sportsbooks, Marlow adds looking at the device players are using will also be key.

“Fans will check odds before kick-off, track live lines during key moments, and shift between streams to follow bets in play. Many of those bets will still be placed on mobile, which remains the fastest companion device for in-play wagering.

“The TV home screen is the new front door for sports discovery,” he adds. “It is the one place that reaches every fan, regardless of which broadcaster or streamer has the rights in each market. Once the match begins, advanced viewing features like multi-view, real-time stats, watch party modes, and betting-related overlays create new moments of intent that marketers should be ready to meet.”

This World Cup hopes to be a revenue driver for both brands and sportsbooks. For marketers, it’s about getting the “right CTV [connected TV] and cross-screen strategy” to reach fans at highimpact moments across various marketing channels. For Marlow, the tournament winners “will be the ones who match their creatives to these new viewing behaviours and deliver value at the exact moments fans lean in”.