Every four years, the World Cup doesn’t just dominate the sports world; it takes over daily life.
In 2026, with the tournament expanding across North America, the global scale will be unprecedented. But while the matches may happen on the pitch, the fan experience has moved. Fans will still gather around TVs, but the journey increasingly unfolds in the palm of the hand, from checking scores and reacting in chats to watching clips between daily moments.
For brands, understanding this shift is critical. Success will not come from showing up only during matches, but from connecting with fans in moments when attention and emotion are already high.
The Mobile Opportunity Around the World Cup
Today’s football fan doesn't just watch from the sidelines; they stay in the game. Research from GWI shows that 71% of football fans also play mobile games, while 59% of mobile gamers say they are very excited about the World Cup. This overlap creates a powerful dynamic where passion and participation meet. Fans are not just watching. They are interacting, competing, and staying immersed in tournament culture through apps.
As a result, attention no longer starts and stops with the broadcast. It stretches from pre-match build-up to halftime scrolls, and post-game analysis. le. Even during live viewing, mobile activity remains constant: 18% of mobile gamers report using another device while watching content, a higher rate than the general population. For marketers, this opens a continuous window to connect audiences when audience attention is already locked in.
Own Attention with Interactive Experiences
Reaching fans in these moments requires environments that feel natural rather than disruptive. Unlike crowded feeds or passive placements, in-app environments offer interactive experiences that turn advertising into something people engage with rather than just scrolling past.
Rich Media Interstitials: Full-screen formats place creative directly within immersive football environments, enabling cinematic, high-impact storytelling that feels integrated into the mobile experience.
Gamified Executions: Interactive “tap-to-shoot” ads invite users to actively participate by aiming and scoring a goal within the ad itself. This transforms advertising into a micro-moment of entertainment, leveraging the same mechanics that make games compelling.
The data support this approach. Only about 12% of viewers recall ads after watching TV or streaming content, and 36% of viewers skip ads entirely. In contrast, immersive mobile environments create stronger cognitive engagement. Mobile gamers are 24% more likely to remember ads than the general population and are less likely to skip them. Ultimately, in-app experiences can capture attention up to 4 times longer than in traditional social or standard video environments, creating stronger engagement and deeper brand recall.
Reach Fans Where They’re Most Engaged
Scale remains essential for the 2026 tournament, which will be the largest in history, spanning multiple host countries and audiences across continents. Through direct access to more than 82K+ premium apps worldwide, Digital Turbine helps brands connect with fans in immersive, brand-safe environments where engagement is naturally high. This includes many of the sports and gaming apps fans already spend time in during the tournament, from live score platforms like 365Scores and LiveScore to football gaming experiences such as EA SPORTS FC Mobile and Soccer Super Star. This allows marketers to show up throughout the full fan journey rather than at a single point in time.
Turning World Cup Excitement into Real Brand Impact
The World Cup brings together passion, attention, and global scale in a way few events can. Brands that succeed will not rely only on broadcast exposure. They will connect with fans through mobile experiences that are already part of daily life. By combining immersive formats, premium environments, and meaningful reach, marketers can turn tournament excitement into real brand impact.
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