Commentary

Takeaways From The 2018 World Cup

The month-long tournament is over with France as the victor, and that means it’s time to reflect on what the World Cup and certain advertisers have taught us this year.

The World Cup was an advertising success.

Although viewership improved as the tournament progressed, this World Cup suffered from lower viewership numbers as compared to the previous World Cup. In spite of this, advertisers continued to utilize the event to its fullest to reach consumers. Fox reported that it was set to bring in more ad revenue from this World Cup than ESPN and ABC did in 2014.

Meanwhile, Telemundo was also able to break through and attract record numbers of viewers to their channels after making its World Cup broadcasting debut this year and outbidding Univision for the Spanish-language rights. In fact, Telemundo was able to sell out its World Cup ads a week before the tournament even started, whereas Fox still had a few slots available for the final match three days before it was due to air. It’s clear that advertisers saw the value in reaching out to Hispanic audiences through the World Cup, and with numerous other soccer events still to come (the Copa America, Women’s World Cup, and regular season matches in Mexico and the US), there will be plenty of additional opportunities.

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Technology is becoming part of the game.

This year, most debates over technology and its place in the World CupVwere centered on FIFA’s often controversial use of video assistant referee (VAR) technology, which is meant to ensure that referees make the correct calls on the field. However, it’s not the only technology to have made a significant impact on the way the game is viewed and enjoyed: The rapid rise of streaming platforms has changed the way that people consume soccer.

The 2018 World Cup broke records for online viewership, with ratings measurement service Conviva recording 393 million streams of matches from 59 unique streaming apps in the first week alone, which is already more than the number of streams during the entire duration of the 2014 World Cup in Rio. One reason for the increase is that, four years ago, there were no (legal) avenues for streaming live television online; now, with services like Sling TV, Hulu, and YouTube, even those viewers without cable subscriptions can enjoy the matches.

Additionally, during the previous World Cup, most people didn’t have the data to spare to even think about streaming the games on their mobile phones. Now, you can watch the matches from wherever you are — while commuting, working, shopping, etc. — and not have to worry about being in front of a television come kickoff time.

Soccer is unpredictable — but that’s the fun of it.

Going into this tournament, several teams were considered to be the favorites to make it all the way, including fan favorites: Mexico, Uruguay, Argentina, and Colombia. But if there was one constant of this World Cup, it was the remarkable number of upsets with Colombia, Mexico and Argentina unable to make it out of the Round of 16 and Uruguay’s elimination soon after.

From a media-buyer’s perspective, this can be a challenge; Since you can’t guarantee which team makes it to the final, how do you best allocate advertising dollars to ensure you reach your intended audience? Advertisers can benefit from using a more general approach: A specific team may or may not make it to the final but since 8 out of the 32 teams hail from Spanish-speaking countries, advertisers could broaden their message to appeal to U.S. Hispanics as a whole to ensure that their message remains relevant for the duration of the competition.

This World Cup might be over, but its effects, especially on advertising, will be felt for years to come.

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