November 22, 2022 | 4 min read
The 2022 FIFA World Cup kicked off over the weekend in Qatar, bringing together audiences from around the world and marking the start of one of the largest and most-anticipated events in all of sports. Over 50 matches will be played between the 32 qualifying teams, with the final game scheduled for December 18 at Lusail Stadium, the biggest stadium in Qatar.
For more insight into how brands are engaging soccer fans during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, check out commentary by PMG’s Shelina Taki in Fast Company.
This year’s World Cup is expected to be watched by more than five billion people globally, surpassing the 2018 World Cup viewership record of 3.5 billion viewers. Already, the early matches are drawing record viewership, with the World Cup opener between Qatar and Ecuador recording a TV audience of 7.2 million viewers in the U.S. across Fox and Telemundo.
For brands, the World Cup represents a unique opportunity to engage with fans of the game and the global community across digital, streaming, social, sponsorship, athlete partnerships, and more.