While advertising opportunities during live broadcasts will be limited, media outlets and platforms without broadcast rights can generate revenue through advertising based on summary and commentary content, such as podcasts or social media. In turn, brands from European and Asian markets can concentrate their investments in these types of spaces. Categories with restrictions The situation also presents opportunities for brands in restricted categories, such as fast food in the UK, where its television advertising hours have recently been limited. Global advertising trends indicate that the contribution of international competitions to advertising growth appears to be weakening, even though this edition will be the first to feature 104 matches and 48 qualified teams. While large audiences, increased broadcast rights, and larger sponsorship packages are expected, advertisers have stopped competing in a single medium and must now interact with fans through various touchpoints before, during, and after matches. And although the FIFA World Cup promises a $40.9 billion boost to global GDP, its direct impact on advertising investment growth is diminishing. Thus, this edition will result in a "modest" $10.5 billion increase in international advertising spending growth during the quarter in which the event takes place. This represents a 1.1% increase compared to the Qatar World Cup, held between November and December 2022, just months after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and while the planet was still grappling with the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. The impact on the global advertising market during the quarter of the event was -4.6% compared to the previous edition of the tournament. In contrast, the 2018 FIFA World Cup, held in Russia, boosted the global advertising market by $12.6 billion, a 2.8% increase over the previous edition. The forecast figure for this year is $2 billion lower. General economic cycles Warc points out that annual advertising spending growth during World Cup years is inconsistent, driven more by general economic cycles than by the tournament itself. It states that the competition does not guarantee an acceleration or performance superior to the market's usual level, not even for host countries. According to the consultancy's forecasts, the event's impact on advertising investment in the US will be greater than in previous occasions, but modest. It indicates that in more positive years, the impact has ranged from 0.4% to 1% of total advertising spending. Changes in audiences As Warc notes, the 2022 Qatar World Cup reached an average of 2.87 billion people for at least one minute, but the overall reach of the medium fell by -11.9% compared to 2018. The prediction is that this year's edition will follow that trend, also aggravated by FIFA's strategic moves, which has established agreements with TikTok and YouTube for the broadcast of key moments. With this, the organization seeks to contact new generations of fans and spectators, more present on digital platforms than on traditional media. In addition, audience distribution also varies. Although football is the most popular sport globally, with 51% of citizens identifying as fans, the tournament is not followed equally in all regions. During the Qatar World Cup, audience levels were highest in Africa, Latin America, and the MENA region, with participation above the global average. In Europe, the largest audiences were concentrated in the UK and Germany. In contrast, this year an increase in audience is expected in the United States, one of the host countries.
