Why we’re big fans of OOH advertising this World Cup
The FIFA World Cup 2026 may be taking place across the Atlantic, but for UK fans it’s already shaping up to be a summer that’s felt everywhere. On the streets, in pubs, on commutes and in everyday routines, the tournament will live far beyond the screen.
With 48 teams and 104 matches, this will be the biggest World Cup ever. And despite the distance, the UK is fully tuned in. 81% of people plan to follow the tournament, one in five say they’re more excited than they were for Qatar 2022, and 69% of 18-35‑year‑olds expect to engage. The audience is there, the appetite is clear, and the opportunity is huge.
At a time when attention is fragmented and trust is harder to earn, one channel feels particularly built for the moment. Out of Home.
An Away Tournament, But a Home Crowd Ready
Even when the World Cup isn’t hosted on home soil, engagement remains powerful. Qatar 2022 demonstrated that wider controversy doesn’t stop people showing up for the football. Despite 72% of UK adults holding negative perceptions of the host nation after the tournament, it still reached 51.2 million viewers in the UK and delivered a £2 billion boost to the UK economy.
Fixtures continue to shape daily routines, conversations and shared rituals. Few events cut through life in quite the same way, which is what keeps the World Cup one of the most culturally powerful moments on the calendar.
Two Home Nations, One Big Moment
With both England and Scotland competing, interest at home is only amplified. England arrive off the back of a quarter‑final run, while Scotland return to the World Cup for the first time in 28 years. Group stages run from 11–27 June, with knockout football stretching through to the final on 19 July, meaning weeks of moments that matter.
Late‑night kick‑offs, high‑stakes games and knockout drama will pull fans out of their homes and into shared spaces across the UK.
Fans Want to Experience It Together
The World Cup isn’t a solo sport. 71% of people prefer to watch matches in a group rather than alone, and 63% say they’re most excited about the atmosphere out in public.
Plans vary. 55% expect to watch matches at home, 36% plan to watch in pubs or bars, and 27% at friends’ or family members’ houses. As the tournament unfolds, fans move between spaces, driven by fixtures, form and momentum. Wherever they choose to watch, one thing stays consistent – they’re out in the real world before and after kick‑off.
Match Days Drive Real‑World Behaviour
World Cups don’t just change viewing habits, they change how people spend. 70% of fans expect household spending to increase during the tournament, with 49% planning to spend significantly more on alcohol and takeaways. Match days also drive footfall, with 61% saying they’re likely to visit a supermarket on game days.
Preparation is part of the ritual. Stocking up, heading out, meeting friends and building anticipation all happen away from screens. That’s where OOH plays its role, placing brands directly into those high‑intent moments.
OOH Is Already Where Fans Are
OOH doesn’t interrupt the fan journey, it moves with it. From towns and cities to transport hubs, shops and roadside routes, OOH is already embedded into everyday life.
In fact, 95% of Brits encounter OOH weekly, more than TV, online or social. Around major sporting events, that presence matters even more. 77% of people notice brands surrounding sports moments, 59% say OOH ads referencing the World Cup make them pay more attention, and 48% say those ads influence their match‑day purchases.
OOH doesn’t just deliver reach – it drives action.
Smarter Media for a Tougher Advertising Game
As pressures grow on traditional channels, brands need smarter tactics. Linear TV advertising has declined 7% year‑on‑year, with confectionery and snacks down 61%, and five of the twelve biggest LHF advertisers pausing activity entirely toward the end of last year.
At the same time, HFSS‑compliant OOH panels are trading 30% ahead, creating an opportunity to maintain reach without compromising compliance. Programmatic OOH plays a key role here, allowing brands to rebalance investment as TV fragments.
Campaigns powered by Atlas deliver results across the funnel, including 2.3x higher brand preference, 15% higher brand relevance, and 1.4x uplift in purchase intent compared to traditional OOH norms.
Relevance in Real Time
Programmatic OOH enables brands to react to the moment as it happens. By using real‑world triggers such as time of day, location, weather, temperature, pollen count and match progression, campaigns can stay contextually relevant throughout the tournament.
That relevance delivers impact. Real‑world ads that leverage local context drive a 32% increase in attention, and in one example campaign, 99% of people said the messaging felt relevant. This responsiveness also translates into stronger brand outcomes. In a campaign running across both linear and RTB environments, the use of RTB delivered a 6ppt uplift in unprompted awareness and an 8ppt lift in perceptions of the brand being exciting versus linear OOH alone.
With 66% of UK marketers planning to increase their use of dynamic creative in 2026, brands are clearly gearing up to respond not just to headline moments, but continuously as stories unfold in real life.
Creativity That Connects
The World Cup isn’t just about football. 38% of fans say they would enjoy the tournament even without watching the matches, 69% want historic or memorable moments, and 49% are drawn to the atmosphere and rituals that surround it.
Creative OOH allows brands to tap into that emotional side of the tournament. 91% of people prefer funny brands, rising to 94% among Gen Z and Millennials, while 76% choose brands they feel connected to.
That connection drives real results. 57% spend more with brands they feel connected to, while 41% will walk away from brands that fail to make them smile or engage. Creativity turns visibility into loyalty.
Creativity That Delivers Impact
Well‑crafted OOH doesn’t just look good, it performs. Creative OOH can deliver a 35% increase in purchase consideration, 56% higher ad recall, and 17% uplift in consumer action. Adding social mechanics boosts effectiveness even further, delivering five times stronger memory encoding compared to standard formats.
From murals that generate 10x more brain stimulation than prints and reduce cortisol levels by 22%, to experiential activations where 98% of people say they’re more inclined to purchase afterwards, OOH allows brands to be genuinely felt.
Trust Is Built in the Real World
In an environment where fans are vocal and scrutiny is high, trust matters. 72% of people say bad ads hurt brand perception, 66% say intrusive ads reduce trust, and two‑thirds would boycott a brand if that trust is lost.
Public messaging helps counter that risk. Ads seen in public are 43% more believable, and one in three people say they trust OOH advertising. Trust‑building campaigns also deliver 65% greater business impact, proving credibility and effectiveness go hand in hand.
A Responsible Place to Show Up
The scale of the 2026 World Cup brings responsibility. The tournament is projected to generate 3.7 million tonnes of CO₂, while only two of eighteen climate commitments have been completed, and no bi‑annual climate reports have been published.
Fans expect more. 87% believe major sporting events must act on ecological issues, 89% expect more sustainable kits and equipment, and 66% say football still needs to do more on sustainability.
While only 29% of people currently perceive OOH as a sustainable channel, the reality is different. OOH produces lower carbon emissions per impression than other measured media, operates with transparent supply chains, and 46% of its revenue is reinvested into public services and community infrastructure.
Why OOH Is Built for This World Cup
The World Cup will be felt far beyond the pitch. It will live in routines, gatherings, purchases and shared journeys across the UK.
OOH reaches fans wherever they are, speaks to them in the moments that matter, builds trust at scale, delivers creativity people remember and does so responsibly.
That’s why, this World Cup, we’re big fans of OOH.
