Between the Super Bowl, 2026 Winter Olympics and FIFA World Cup, there is no shortage of sports marketing opportunities this year. But global ad spend has increased, and brands like Grey Goose, John Deere and Lavazza coffee brand are investing in pre-existing, long-standing partnerships instead of chasing this year’s live sports calendar.
‘Keeping the coin purse very close’
“Clients are keeping the coin purse very close because of just the nature of the world,” said Luis Velasco, media planner at Media by Mother, referring to ongoing geopolitical conflict and economic headwinds. There’s interest in live sports, he said, but some clients need to be convinced of the return on investment before committing ad dollars.
Global ad spend is expected to surpass $1 trillion for the first time this year, partially fueled by sports, according to eMarketer. It’s unclear exactly how much advertisers are spending on sports marketing efforts.
There’s consumer interest in live events: an estimated 125.6 million people tuned into the Big Game this year, making it the second most-watched Super Bowl in history, per Nielsen.
But securing a spot in sports — especially live sports, the so-called last bastion of monocultural moments — doesn’t come cheap. Live sports also often means adopting a long-term, brand-building strategy rather than expecting immediate ROI or ROAS. For this year’s Super Bowl, some 30-second ad spots went for $10 million. That figure doesn’t include things like talent or production costs.
“With rising costs and overlapping global events, brands are placing fewer bets on a single stage and more on how those moments extend,” Shannon Watkins, founder of Watkins Brand Advisors strategic consultancy, told Digiday in an email. Watkins pointed to Nike skipping this year’s Super Bowl to advertise in the World Cup and that Pepsi launched a content platform dedicated to soccer.
The payout can be worth the payoff. Lay’s brought in big name celebrities like Lionel Messi, David Beckham, Alexia Putellas, Thierry Henry, and Steve Carell for its World Cup activation. That’s in addition to its Super Bowl ad this year. Ferrero North America is rolling out its first portfolio-wide campaign for the World Cup — its “largest marketing commitment in company history,” according to a news release. Meanwhile, Unilever has had its World Cup strategy laid out since at least last November.
Investing in known strategies
But being everywhere all at once comes at a price that brands like Lavazza aren’t willing to pay. The coffee brand is a long-term advertiser around tennis, including the French Open, U.S. Open and Wimbledon. But the brand will not be a first-time advertiser with this year’s other live sports events, said Daniele Foti, vp of marketing for Lavazza North America, told Digiday.
“Let’s not get into the FOMO trap,” Foti said. “The big risk is to lose your authenticity, which for us, is really crucial to actually be able to achieve our objective.”
Brands like Grey Goose and John Deere have taken a similar approach. The U.S. Open is one of the spirit brand’s longest-running sports brand activations, but Grey Goose hasn’t decided whether it will advertise around this year’s World Cup.
And while John Deere recently inked a multi-year deal sponsoring Major League Baseball, it is a longstanding golfing brand name via the John Deere Class, its annual PGA Tour event. The brand is focusing its budget to prioritize campaign effectiveness, according to Jen Hartmann, global director of corporate reputation and brand marketing at John Deere.
“Where we can make a bigger impact is leaning into some of these partnerships that allow us to do a little bit of paid advertising as part of that partnership,” Hartmann said.