With 48 teams, 104 matches, and a stage that spans across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the World Cup will offer more opportunities to engage fans than ever before. For betting and gaming operators, that means one thing – it’s time to start planning now.
Nikolaus Beier, SVP Marketing Services at Sportradar, explains why the upcoming World Cup presents a rare opportunity to combine scale, technology, and timing for maximum impact.
According to Sportradar’s Marketing Services, operators who combine brand awareness with acquisition channels see up to 36 per cent lower CPAs and 60 per cent higher effectiveness than those relying solely on acquisition-focused tactics. With the right adtech and channel mix, campaigns can even double overall revenue returns and boost player lifetime value by 40 per cent.
The Biggest World Cup in History
For operators, the scale of next summer’s tournament means more betting moments, more competition for attention, and more opportunities to connect with fans across markets. But it also means that timing and preparation are critical.
“For many operators the World Cup is already a big topic with marketing and media plans being drawn up for next year,” Nikolaus Beier, SVP Marketing Services at Sportradar, explains. “Our clients are approaching us regularly with questions around the tournament.
“With finite advertising supply you need to think about availability now. If you’re early, there’s a bigger chance to get the spots you want to have. It’s definitely not too early to begin planning for next summer’s World Cup.”
The lesson from past tournaments is clear. Many operators spend too much, too late.
“As well as not pre-planning early enough, there can be too much focus on acquisition,” Beier says. “These types of activities become very expensive during the World Cup because there’s bigger competition and the branding aspect is sometimes lost.
“We see in many cases that a good balance between branding and acquisition can lead to 36 per cent decreased CPAs. There is a clear positive impact from branding channels to acquisition channels.”
That balance is something Sportradar’s data consistently reinforces. Operators that build brand awareness in advance enter major tournaments with stronger recall, lower acquisition costs, and audiences primed to convert once the action begins.
So, which channels should operators focus on as they design their campaigns?
“This will differ between markets, but digital out-of-home is the fastest growing programmatic channel, particularly in the host continent of North America” Beier notes. “More screens are being digitalised so that is a huge opportunity for branding, especially in host cities, major travel routes, and stadiums.
“Several of the World Cup’s venues are amongst the largest in the world, which opens up opportunities to connect with fans via timely and relevant ads that pull in live data from the match they’ve just witnessed. Programmatic audio is also a huge topic with more sources connected – even linear radio stations are offering programmatic ads.
“Video is the oldest programmatic channel, but even this is increasing both across the web programmatic inventory available and closed circuits like Amazon and Netflix.”
Globally, marketing spend continues to shift toward these dynamic, data-driven formats. “Traditional TV and newspaper are at best staying stable or declining, but they are also incredibly expensive around big sports moments like the World Cup. Newer channels are experiencing growth rates of 15 to 20 percent and cater to all campaign budgets,” Beier adds. “Our operator clients are increasingly looking for opportunities in these channels.”
Measuring Brand Awareness
Brand marketing has often been considered difficult to measure, but with the rise of adtech and programmatic solutions, that perception is changing.
“I’m often asked what the best ratio is between branding and acquisition – it’s a very tough question to answer,” Beier admits. “There is no right or wrong because it depends on the market, local regulations, and availability. I think a 50-50 approach as a rule of thumb is a good starting point. That balance will see your acquisition costs significantly decreasing whilst your brand’s awareness is going up.”
By investing in brand channels now, operators are effectively priming audiences for purchase during the World Cup itself. Research shows that when brand and acquisition work together, the whole marketing funnel becomes more efficient, turning awareness into action and increasing revenue by up to 100 per cent .
Beyond media planning, Beier believes that contextual relevance will define the most effective campaigns. Real-time creative, driven by live data and activated during key sporting moments, can drive stronger emotional engagement and higher conversion rates.
“One of the key behaviours that we’ve observed when it comes to CPAs is its significant impact on how far a team advances,” Beier explains. “So long as a country’s team is part of the tournament, CPAs are significantly lower in that market because there are more people wanting to bet. If that team is eliminated, that means less people registering and betting. You need to be flexible in your spending and the types of messaging you send.”
This flexibility is where Sportradar’s programmatic solutions shine because, by definition, programmatic is highly scalable so you can switch on campaigns live. “The ability to use our live data to trigger personalised advertising in the biggest moments to the right audience, is an incredibly strong measure.
“If Harry Kane has scored a hat trick, you can tailor your messaging based on that contextual moment. Across London there can be digital billboards saying Harry Kane scored three goals, now register, get an extra bonus. People will be much more engaged compared to just having a generic message saying register for bookmaker ‘ABC’.”
Maintaining Momentum
Sustaining audience attention across a month-long competition is another challenge. Operators must know when to engage – and when to hold back.
“You can’t force someone to be engaged with something that isn’t engaging, so it’s about adjusting budgets live,” Beier says. “Personalised and targeted messaging around relevant moments rather than during passive timeframes that aren’t too relevant.
“To make people come back, the focus needs to be on increasing the spending levels pre-match rather than just throwing out generic messages. It’s also the nature of a tournament that not every day has one highlight game.
“Instead of trying to have punters come back every day and then ultimately be disappointed there isn’t the game they want to bet on, the focus should be on adjusting messaging depending on the action customers want to follow.”
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With 48 teams, 104 matches, and a stage that spans across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the World Cup will offer more opportunities to engage fans than ever before. For betting and gaming operators, that means one thing – it’s time to start planning now. Nikolaus Beier, SVP Marketing Services at Sportradar, explains why…
The post 2026 FIFA World Cup: Plan Now, Profit Later appeared first on G3 Newswire.