Radio, Podcasts Gain Role As World Cup Ads Move Beyond Live Broadcast.

A new report from WARC finds that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will deliver a major but diminishing boost to global advertising, as brands increasingly shift spending beyond traditional broadcast channels, including radio, toward more fragmented, multi-platform strategies.

The tournament, to be staged across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, is expected to generate a $10.5 billion increase in global ad spend during the event quarter. However, that represents only a 1.1% incremental lift — down from the 2.8% increase seen during the 2018 tournament — highlighting what analysts describe as declining marginal impact from major global sporting events.

At the same time, the report emphasizes that advertising tied to the World Cup is no longer concentrated in live match broadcasts. Instead, marketers are spreading budgets across a wider mix of media, including audio platforms such as podcasts and other radio-adjacent formats.

“This World Cup is no longer just about live matches — brands will engage with fans across touchpoints before, during and after matches have concluded,” said Alex Brownsell, head of content at WARC Media. “Media plans will include platforms that benefit from the conversation about the World Cup without the burden of bidding for rights — from creator content to podcasts, turning conversations around the games into powerful opportunities for connection and impact.”

That shift reflects broader structural changes in the advertising industry. While global audiences remain vast — nearly 2.9 billion viewers tuned into the 2022 tournament — linear television audiences declined nearly 12% vs. 2018, underscoring the erosion of traditional broadcast dominance.

For radio and audio advertisers, the implications are significant. As live TV audiences fragment, marketers are increasingly looking to “second-screen” and companion media to extend reach and frequency. Audio formats, including digital radio and podcasts, are positioned as key channels for capturing engagement around matches, particularly before and after live play.

The WARC analysis suggests that these environments allow brands to participate in World Cup-related conversations without paying premium rates for official broadcast rights. This dynamic could benefit radio operators and audio platforms that can offer targeted, contextually relevant inventory tied to fan discussion and analysis.

Still, the overall growth effect of the tournament is expected to be limited. The report notes that high advertising costs during major events often lead to a redistribution of existing budgets rather than entirely new spending. In host markets such as the U.S., the World Cup has historically contributed 0.4% to 1% of total ad expenditure.

More broadly, the findings align with WARC’s wider outlook that digital channels continue to dominate global advertising growth. Digital formats are projected to account for more than 80% of total ad spend, with major technology platforms capturing the bulk of incremental investment.

Even so, the World Cup remains one of the few global events capable of mobilizing large-scale, cross-media campaigns. The difference in 2026, analysts say, is how those campaigns are executed.

Rather than relying primarily on television spots, brands are expected to deploy integrated strategies spanning social media, streaming video, influencer content and audio channels. This includes radio-style formats that allow for real-time commentary, storytelling and fan interaction beyond the confines of live broadcasts.

The report also highlights the growing importance of “second-screen” behavior, with fans increasingly engaging across multiple platforms simultaneously. This trend further reinforces the role of audio and radio-like formats as complementary media that can deepen engagement while viewers watch matches or follow highlights elsewhere.

Despite the expanding media mix, the World Cup’s ability to drive incremental growth appears to be weakening. Analysts attribute this to a more complex and fragmented media landscape, where attention is divided and advertisers have more options than ever before.

In that environment, radio and audio platforms may not command the same headline budgets as television, but they are emerging as important parts of the broader advertising ecosystem — particularly as brands look for cost-effective ways to connect with audiences around the world’s biggest sporting event.