As an Englishman, Jon Stainer feels duty-bound to cheer on the national team in this year’s FIFA World Cup, even though England last won the trophy in 1966.
But as global GM of Nielsen Sports, Stainer recognizes sports fandom is now global and diverse. This year’s World Cup demonstrates how significantly the way fans consume spectator sports has changed, and how marketers have adapted.
Even within sport’s new global focus, soccer – or football outside of the United States – stands out as a true global fandom. Stainer notes that Nielsen Fan Insights data shows that 51% of the general population in over 40 markets worldwide claim it is the most popular sport that they follow.
“That’s really the marketing platform that the FIFA World Cup brings for brands,” he says. “It creates opportunities to engage audiences around the world, to be part of cultural moments, and to do that either at live events, within broadcasts, and via social media.”
This year’s tournament represents a change in both the way that fans will experience the action, and how marketers will tap into that fandom. Changes are driven by the way viewers consume sports and the access they have to sports, as well, says Stainer.
Games will air on multiple Fox channels, including its Tubi free ad-supported TV (FAST) streaming platform; Spanish-language broadcasts will air on NBCU-owned Telemundo and Universo and its Peacock streaming service.
This represents a sea change from the environment when North America last hosted the World Cup in 1994, and even the activities around the last World Cup in Qatar four years ago.
“It is no longer just about the live broadcast, but it is about all the ancillary activity and media content via social media, via streaming, and FIFA is really tapping into that as well around the World Cup,” says Stainer. FIFA has partnerships with both TikTok and YouTube, “which will bring the creator economy to the World Cup,” he says.
Live on TV and in real life
The ways people watch the game may have changed, but the World Cup remains appointment television, even if it may be streamed instead of broadcast. Stainer notes that fans want to see how their national team does in real time, not find out about it the next day. “People are going to want to consume this live,” he said
While live viewing will be crucial – regardless of the time difference between North America and football markets in Europe and Africa – other opportunities, such as highlights and clips on social media will also play a key role in viewership.
This creates a new set of opportunities for brands to be able to engage with consumers, says Stainer. A variety of viewing options means a wider scope of audiences, including younger viewers.
“Broadcasters will be looking to engage the audience where the fans are going. So what you will see is both broadcast and live streaming taking place, not just here in the U.S., but around the world,” says Stainer. “ important because it attracts different, but complementary audiences.”
FIFA and its media partners have taken the time differences into consideration in terms of timing and scheduling games so they can attract viewers from around the world, said Stainer. Partnering with both TikTok and YouTube as social media partners, FIFA has “a new entry point for younger consumers to follow the World Cup, beyond just the live broadcast,” he says.
“From a measurement perspective, it means that we have to be on top of not just the live broadcast, but what’s happening on streaming and what’s happening through social media, through impressions and engagements there, to be able to roll that up into understandable metrics,” said Stainer.
As FIFA’s media intelligence supplier, Nielsen will track and measure the impact of viewership, fan engagement and the outcomes for sponsors through both valuation and impact analysis, says Stainer.
“Ultimately, what we’re doing then is providing brand marketers with an ROI on their overall investment, both on sponsorship, on advertising and on the activation of their rights,” he says.
While the overwhelming majority of World Cup audiences will experience the tournament on television, marketers are looking at the event as an opportunity to connect with consumers in the real world. They are tapping into traditions, nostalgia, and other dimensions of the fandom notes Stainer.
He singled out the collaboration between The Coca-Cola Co. and trading-card company Panini on 2026 FIFA World Cup exclusive collectible stickers, which fans can get inside the labels of the 20-ounce soda bottles.
“Collectibles and World Cup stickers have always been a really important part of fan engagement over the years, so it touches on the nostalgia that a lot of fans have,” says Stainer. “It’s a nice example of brands working together.”
He also singled out the plans by Bank of America, the World Cup’s official bank sponsor, which is carrying out traditional activations such as ticket sweepstakes for card holders, premium hospitality packages, and other opportunities to experience the tournament. But Stainer notes BofA also added a cultural and community aspect to its sponsorship, partnering with Soccer USA and Visa to expand and upgrade local soccer parks in all 11 U.S. host cities.
“It’s a great example of how the World Cup can be used to tap into communities as well, and develop those communities,” says Stainer.
The World Cup gives marketers more access to consumers, but it is up to the marketers to understand the best opportunities for interacting with those consumers and “where their audiences are really turning up,” says Stainer.
“I think where marketers are having to place more focus and where they’ll continue to need to place more focus is on having a forensic understanding of these audiences,” says Stainer. “Are they showing up in the live broadcast? Are they showing up at community-based events? Are they showing up via streaming platforms or social platforms? That’s a big area of focus for brand marketers.”
