The World Cup is massive for advertisers, but advertising during the event this year may be more difficult than in the past due to fragmented viewing among Australian audiences. While TV still dominates, people are also expected to spread viewing across mobile devices, broadcast video on demand, and other platforms.
This means advertisers need to plan for audiences that are consuming across different media, and should no longer rely on a single channel.
World Cup Fans May Spread Out Their Viewing in Australia
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup quickly approaching, it seems that Australian viewers may be interacting with the event differently than in the past. According to the analysis of historical viewing patterns, as well as consumer surveys of over 1,000 Australians, Australian fans are spreading their viewing across different channels.
This includes traditional linear television, as well as streaming services, mobile devices, and broadcast video on demand (BVOD).
Among the major insights is the fact that 31% of viewers are planning to combine linear TV and BVOD to follow the World Cup. This is a huge percentage and is a sign to advertisers that they’ll need to diversify their advertising efforts, as opposed to just investing in TV ads and calling it a day, which they may have done in past years.
Television Still Dominates
However, despite the split and multiple channels being used to keep up with the World Cup, TV remains firmly at the top of the food chain in terms of share of intended viewing. For example, 88% of viewers still plan to watch games on TV, and this increases to 91% for evening weekday matches and 93% for games on the weekend.
So while other methods are certainly being used to help viewers stay updated on the World Cup, a huge majority still plan to rely on television to follow the action. However, for daytime viewing, device choices shift as 43% are planning to use mobile phones or laptops to watch the matches.
As a result, even though traditional linear TV is nothing new and has been around much longer than more modern consumption methods like social media and video on demand, it’s becoming a major growth channel and shouldn’t be ignored by businesses.
This Fragmentation Makes Life Difficult for Advertisers
This split viewing experience and fragmented market have the potential to make things hard for advertisers. Not only do they need to worry about where their audience is viewing, but also how their viewing habits change throughout the day, and how long they spend viewing on each platform.
This may impact both campaign planning and measurement, as it’s hard to reach people consistently (and measure the success of your ads) when they’re watching games on one platform, checking highlights on another, and viewing clips/expert commentary on social media.
In addition to the shift in how people consume the tournament, another major shift for this World Cup that advertisers should keep in mind is that engagement is becoming less dependent on team performance.
For example, 79% of those who intend to view the World Cup say they’ll continue to watch the tournament even if the Australian team is eliminated. This is 11% higher than it was ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
Because of this, companies wanting to reach Australian fans shouldn’t worry too much about using up all of their ad inventory early once the team is still in the tournament, as plenty of Australians are planning to stick around throughout the event.
Advertising During the World Cup
As for how brands should advertise during the World Cup, the key is to maintain a healthy mix. While TV is still important, it may not be sufficient on its own anymore. It’s crucial to spread your ad inventory to other channels to capture those who are using multiple screens to consume the event.
Where you choose to advertise may also depend on your audience. For example, while older audiences may get most of their exposure to the tournament via TV, younger generations may keep updated through social media, video recaps, quick highlights, and expert commentary from influencers.
