PHL brands expected to ride into the FIFA World Cup 2026 buzz

Philippine brands are expected to amplify and create content related to the Fйdйration Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup 2026 to boost their online engagement, according to the digital advertising firm Aleph.

“It will be the talk of the town, so even if you don’t want to hear it, you will see it, because everybody will be talking about it,”  Aleph Country Head Anna Dy told reporters during a panel interview.

“Brands, creators will take advantage of the buzz around the FIFA World Cup,” she added.

Aleph, the official media rights distributor of the 2026 World Cup in the Philippines, said that the heightened online activity surrounding the world’s biggest football event is a marketing opportunity for local businesses.

Under the partnership, Aleph can help Philippine brands have commercial opportunities across multimedia platforms in the local market during the month-long global sports event.

“If you’re a brand that wants to get the attention of a user or of your target audience, this is a good way to engage them because they’re leaned into the games,” Ms. Dy told BusinessWorld in an interview.

The firm will also disseminate “24/7” sports content, including short-form videos, highlights, behind-the-scenes footage, pre-game, post-game, and live shows.

These materials will be available across free-to-air television, pay TV, digital streaming, mobile, and video-on-demand platforms.

“There will be a lot of content, plus this is a chance for a brand to advertise on a platform like FIFA,” she said. “People like to watch live games, there’s also a segment of people that prefer to watch the highlights first, and there are those who just prefer to watch the highlights.”

 “It’s like the different types of fans wanting different types of content,” she added.

According to FIFA, the event is expected to generate about six billion viewers worldwide. The event is also forecast to inject an additional $10.5 billion into the global ad market, according to the World Advertising Research Center (WARC) Media.

In the Philippines, around 39 million Filipinos showed interest in the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup. Among the Filipino FIFA fans, 80% are Gen Zs and young millennials, or those aged under 35 years old.

For the FIFA World Cup 2026, about 51% of Filipino fans are anticipated to follow the event via YouTube highlights. — Almira Louise S. Martinez