Brands are adjusting to a different setting for this year's FIFA World Cup, as fans of the tournament, which runs through July 19, follow the action on a highly fragmented array of channels, forcing brands to come up with creative ways to engage them.

“Hosting the tournament in North America, specifically in the States, is pulling fans decisively off traditional broadcast and into digital and connected TV (CTV) to follow along,” said Rod Paolucci, global head of marketing at Channel Factory.

In addition to streaming the games on a big screen, many viewers will be checking social media and other feeds on a mobile second screen.

• Second-screen social network users will reach 143.5 million in the US this year, representing 65.6% of 216.8 million total second-screen users, according to EMARKETER’s forecast.
• Gen Z (90.9%) has the greatest penetration of second-screen use, per EMARKETER’s forecast.

To meet the demand for short-form, second-screen content, FIFA is distributing live clips on TikTok this year, per a New York Times report covered by EMARKETER.

YouTube pulled in 1.1 billion hours of FIFA livestreaming alone during the group stage of the tournament in June, per Streams Charts data reported in EMARKETER.

Tapping soccer fever

Global brands are tailoring campaigns to match US fans’ soccer enthusiasm. And despite the growing number of second-screen users, a large portion of sports viewing is still done through linear TV.

Traditional TV is expected to hold 62.1% of total time spent by US adults watching live sports through 2028, EMARKETER forecasts.

This means big brands have to complement traditional TV with digital outreach to capture second-screen engagement.

New York Life mastered this gameplan by featuring members of the US national team in a short-form documentary series ahead of the World Cup. The series spotlights players’ lives to build lasting engagement with fans who follow athlete updates on social media.

“Fandom has fragmented, and that's changing what it takes for a brand to earn real attention,” said Paolucci. “Discovery and viewership are blending in real time, with fans watching highlights on YouTube, following commentary on TikTok, and reacting on Meta, often within a single match.”

When fans are searching for sports content, they’re also discovering brands. A full 36% of sports fans worldwide discover brands on search engines during sports tournaments, according to a November and December 2025 survey by Teads. CTV (29%) edged out social media (21%) when it came to brand discovery.

“Connected TV has become just as central to that mix, giving brands a way to show up on the big screen through formats that live inside the moment rather than interrupting it,” Paolucci said. “That's pushing brands to plan consistently across that digital and CTV footprint, rather than anchoring to a single screen.”

Following along with sports families

Sports fans aren’t just watching and following the FIFA World Cup in isolation. Watching tournament games at home, or at public watch parties, includes families where playing and watching are part of a lifestyle.

Sports families are also a receptive audience for brands. Some 84.2% of sports parents say being a sports parent significantly influences their purchase decisions, and 41.5% say it does so “a great deal,” per an EMARKETER/DICK’S Media survey.

Italian collectible company Panini released a special FIFA World Cup 2026 sticker collection, which includes an album where collectors can place stickers.

This summer, North American youth soccer organization Soccer Shots partnered with Panini to give soccer families the World Cup album, including it in the jersey pack sent to households when they sign up for Soccer Shots, according to Jason Webb, founder of Soccer Shots, and vice president, strategic partnerships for parent company Stronger Youth Brands.

“With the World Cup being hosted in North America this year, [Panini has] a lot of energy and support behind getting this album out and into families’ hands, and introducing families to this idea of collecting and filling out an album,” said Webb.

Although brands are facing a fragmented digital environment this World Cup season, they can reach sports fans and families by managing multiple channels, and making personal connections that highlight players on and off the pitch.

A growing soccer culture

Advertisers are looking to take advantage of growing attention to soccer in the US, including a boost from the FIFA World Cup.

US ad spending for the FIFA World Cup, at $830.0 million, is approaching the $1.00 billion that will be spent on the 2027 Super Bowl, according to EMARKETER’s forecast.

This attention from advertisers, along with the games themselves and community watch parties, will give momentum to the sport in the US.

“The World Cup is going to serve as a catalyst to accelerate what’s already happening with soccer. Soccer’s time has arrived,” said Dan Scheinman, president of Priority Partnerships. “Gen Z and millennials, they are soccer fans. And the MLS has done a great job of cultivating this, years ahead of this summer’s big events.”

US teams in Major League Soccer, and coverage of international competition like England’s Premier League, Spain’s La Liga, and others, laid the foundation for US soccer interest heading into the FIFA World Cup.

“A mistake that some brands will make this summer is thinking it’s a one-and-done, and trying to show up just for the World Cup summer instead of becoming part of soccer culture,” said Scheinman.

This was originally featured in the EMARKETER Daily newsletter. For more marketing insights, statistics, and trends, subscribe here.