For the sport called European football (or soccer), one big wish for U.S.-based TV networks and streamers has always been to find more ad inventory for brands.
FIFA, the world organization for the
sport, is moving in that direction with new “hydration” three-minute breaks -- one each occurring during the traditional 45
minutes of nonstop action that has existed for the sport.
In part, this was pushed because of recent matches in some hot-spot locations where the temperatures soared above 90 degrees.
TV networks globally are now allowed to run advertisements during these breaks for the FIFA World Cup event that has begun -- with restrictions. That messaging can only start 20 seconds after the
break has begun and must return to the match video 30 seconds before play resumes.
All this leaves TV networks in the U.S. -- Fox Television Networks and Telemundo -- with about 2 minutes and
30 seconds to air ad messaging.
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The stoppages do not have to feature ads. They could just show footage of the players, drinking, or perhaps talking strategy.
Currently, traditional TV
ads in the sport air in pre-game, halftime and post-game windows.
What about the price for these commercials? With a global TV audience of around 1.4 billion, a worldwide media plan around the
big month-long event could soar well above the Super Bowl.
In the U.S., analysts expect overall viewership to rise - -- but nowhere near that of the 120 million U.S. average viewers the Super
Bowl pulls in.
Viewership for an average match in the 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup was 5.1 million for Fox and 2.5 million for Telemundo.
It’s a supply-and-demand formula -- via
viewership -- to determine current and future results.
Still, the expectation is that the key matches where the U.S. team plays -- should they get into the knockout round -- could rise to a
strong 25 million to 30 million average viewers.
Will brands get the engagement and ROI they need for whatever assuming pricing they pay in?