2026 World Cup: Why Italy’s Publitalia Isn’t Bidding & Ad Spend Forecasts
DAZN will handle advertising sales internally for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a departure from its current arrangement with Publitalia, the advertising concessionaire of Mediaset, for Serie A football. The decision, reported by Il Sole 24 Ore on March 7, 2026, stems from concerns about the tournament’s relevance to European audiences due to unfavorable time zone differences, with many matches scheduled late at night.
Publitalia had indicated months ago that the 2026 World Cup, hosted in Canada, the USA, and Mexico, was not a priority, according to sources. This contrasts with its ongoing partnership with DAZN for Serie A advertising, a collaboration both companies have publicly expressed satisfaction with. DAZN currently enjoys an 18% increase in viewership for Serie A matches compared to the previous season.
The streaming platform will now manage advertising for all 104 World Cup matches exclusively on DAZN, competing with RAI, the Italian national broadcaster, which holds the rights to 35 free-to-air matches and will handle their own advertising sales. This marks a shift from the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, where DAZN sublicensed 22 matches to Mediaset for free broadcast.
Industry analysts at Warc Media suggest the 2026 World Cup is not expected to significantly boost overall global advertising investment, particularly in traditional media, despite the expanded 48-team format and the addition of 24 matches. Alex Brownsell, head of content at Warc Media, stated that the tournament will generate approximately $10.5 billion in advertising revenue, but this investment will be distributed across multiple platforms.
Brands are increasingly focused on engaging with fans across various touchpoints, including creator content, podcasts, and social media, rather than solely relying on traditional television broadcasts. Warc Media estimates the 2026 World Cup will contribute nearly $41 billion to the global GDP, with advertising increasing by 1.1% compared to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. This increase is lower than the 12.6% growth experienced during the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The scheduling of matches presents challenges for European and Chinese audiences, with less than half (42.3%) and a third (34.6%) of games, respectively, taking place during daytime hours. This may create opportunities for non-rights holders to capitalize on content such as highlights and commentary through podcasts and social media.
The impact of the World Cup on advertising in the United States, Mexico, and Canada has historically been minimal. Warc Media projects a +4% increase in advertising investment in Mexico, a positive but not exceptional figure for a host nation. TikTok has been named as an official partner of FIFA and will provide behind-the-scenes footage, while YouTube will stream live matches through media partnerships. Platforms like Netflix are also exploring monetization opportunities through video podcasts related to the tournament.