WHY LIVE SPORTS STILL WIN

Every year, there are a handful of events that capture the world’s attention. The Super Bowl. March Madness. The Olympics. And this summer, the FIFA World Cup.

While each event is different, they all have one thing in common: they bring people together.

In a media landscape where audiences are spread across streaming platforms, social media, podcasts, connected TV, and countless digital channels, getting millions of people focused on the same thing at the same time has become increasingly rare. That’s what makes these moments so valuable for brands.

As the World Cup comes to a close, it leaves behind more than memorable matches. It reinforces some important lessons about how people consume media and how brands can show up in ways that feel relevant.

It’s Not About One Channel Anymore

There was a time when buying media around a major sporting event meant securing a television spot and calling it a day. Today, that’s only one piece of the puzzle.

People stream matches on TV, follow highlights on social media, check scores on their phones, watch creator content on YouTube, and text friends throughout the event. They’re moving between platforms before, during, and after the game.

The conversation is no longer, “Should we use TV or streaming?” It’s “How do these channels work together?”

Nielsen’s latest sports trends report reinforces this shift. Live sports continue to perform best when distributed across both traditional television and streaming, helping brands reach complementary audiences rather than forcing viewers into one platform. During the 2025 Super Bowl, for example, FOX’s decision to stream the game on Tubi attracted younger viewers while expanding the event’s overall reach.

The takeaway is simple: Consumers don’t think about channels the way marketers do. They simply consume content wherever it’s most convenient.

The World Cup Is Bigger Than Soccer

The FIFA World Cup is already the most-watched sporting event in the world, but this year’s tournament demonstrated that its impact extends far beyond the matches themselves.

For weeks, conversations unfolded across social media, streaming platforms, news outlets, podcasts, and watch parties. Fans weren’t just watching. They were sharing highlights, following storylines, and becoming part of a global conversation.

Interest in soccer continues to grow in the United States as well. Nielsen found that viewership across major international tournaments has steadily increased, with more than one-third of Americans expecting their interest in the sport to grow over the next 18 months.

As audiences continue to expand, so do the opportunities for brands to engage with them. Even the tournament itself reflected that evolution. The addition of hydration breaks created natural moments for sponsor integrations and advertising, giving brands more opportunities to connect with viewers during live play.

The tournament also highlighted a unique challenge for advertisers. The World Cup brings together passionate fans from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds while also attracting casual viewers who simply want to be part of the moment. As Forbes noted during the tournament, brands had to find ways to connect with lifelong supporters without losing audiences who only tune in every four years.

The Bigger Lesson for Brands

The World Cup isn’t the only event reshaping the media landscape.

Women’s sports continue to see record growth. Formula 1 has expanded its audience through streaming documentaries. MLB is attracting increasingly diverse fan bases, while the NBA continues to demonstrate the long-term value of consistent brand visibility.

The common thread isn’t just sports. It’s engagement.

People aren’t simply watching these events anymore. They’re participating in them through social conversations, creator content, highlights, articles, podcasts, and second-screen experiences that continue long after the final whistle.

For brands, that means thinking beyond a single media placement. The opportunity isn’t just to reach audiences during the event. It’s to understand how people experience these moments across platforms before, during, and after they happen.

Looking Ahead

Major sporting events will continue to evolve, just as the media landscape will. But one thing hasn’t changed: Shared moments still matter.

Whether it’s the World Cup, the Super Bowl, the Olympics, or another cultural event, these moments offer something increasingly difficult to find: undivided attention.

The biggest takeaway from this summer’s World Cup isn’t simply that millions of people watched. It’s that audiences don’t experience these moments through a single screen or platform. They move seamlessly between streaming, social media, digital content, and live conversation.

For marketers, that’s a reminder that understanding how people engage has become just as important as understanding where they engage.