ITV says World Cup will be its most lucrative sports event ever
14 reported
ITV has stated that the upcoming World Cup will be the most commercially successful tournament it has ever aired, with executives describing it as a “six-week summer Super Bowl moment” for TV advertising. The channel is broadcasting 51 of the 104 matches in the men’s tournament, which is co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada and has expanded from 32 to 48 teams. Kelly Williams, managing director of commercial at ITV, told the Guardian that advertising revenues are running about 30% above those from Euro 2024. ITV began selling commercial packages last autumn, with Google taking the headline sponsorship to promote its Gemini and Pixel products. The broadcaster is holding back prime slots around later games, which could command higher prices if England advances. Media industry sources estimate that a 30-second commercial in an England game can cost as much as £300,000. ITV has so far sold packages to 220 different advertisers, with 70 of those running TV ads in football coverage for the first time.
What’s reported
ITV is airing 51 of the 104 World Cup matches, the largest tournament yet after expansion from 32 to 48 teams.
Kelly Williams said advertising revenues are about 30% above those from Euro 2024.
ITV began selling commercial packages last autumn; Google is the headline sponsor for Gemini and Pixel products.
Media industry sources estimate a 30-second ad in an England game can cost up to £300,000.
ITV has sold packages to 220 advertisers, with 70 running football TV ads for the first time and about eight new to TV advertising.
Jeremy Clarkson’s Hawkstone lager brand booked slots after its choir won Britain’s Got Talent.
Nike’s six-minute World Cup ad will be the longest commercial ever aired on UK TV, debuting during England’s opening match against Croatia.
Ofcom limits ad minutes per hour on an average basis, allowing ITV to run the full Nike commercial.
AI and tech companies including Google, Amazon Web Services, Apple, Dell, Microsoft’s Copilot, and Meta are booking ad slots.
England’s first games kick off at 9pm or 10pm; Scotland’s group matches are at 11pm or 2am.
The BBC has rights to the remaining World Cup matches in the UK.
ITV set up a studio in Brooklyn; the BBC broadcasts from Salford, Manchester.
Gary Lineker signed a reported £14m deal with Netflix to stream daily versions of The Rest Is Football podcast from New York.
Alex Kay-Jelski, director of BBC Sport, defended the decision to base the BBC studio in the UK.
Key figures
Kelly Williams, managing director of commercial at ITV
Gary Lineker, former lead BBC football presenter
Alex Kay-Jelski, director of BBC Sport
Sources: The Guardian
