The biggest fans of the 2014 World Cup? Advertisers.
Global ad spend is expected to get a $1.5 billion boost this year thanks to the soccer tournament, according to market forecasting company ZenithOptimedia.
“The event will deliver large television audiences and high interest in news media and sport websites, at a time of year when — in the northern hemisphere at least — people normally spend less time consuming media,” the company reported. “We expect TV to benefit the most, but World Cup advertisers will spend more of their budgets on internet advertising, with advertisers more active on social media than during any previous sporting event.”
Also read: USA-Ghana Nets Highest World Cup Ratings Ever on ESPN
The World Cup will help the global ad market grow 5.4 percent overall in 2014, up from 3.9 percent in 2013, ZenithOptimedia predicts. But some of that is simply by virtue of continued economic recovery: the self-proclaimed “ROI Company” believes growth will continue to improve over the next two years, reaching 5.7 percent in 2015 and 6.1 percent in 2016.
ZenithOptimedia forecasts the World Cup will have its biggest impact in Latin America, where the matches are ideally timed for Latin American viewers, adding $500 million to the ad spend.
Next up is us, North America. Despite the lower levels of interest in the sport, ZenithOptimedia expects the Cup to add an extra $300m to North America.
Also read: World Cup Announcer Jonathan Pearce’s Gaffes Set Off Twitter Storm
It also predicts an extra $300 million in Western Europe, where time differences are still quite good and fandom even better.
The disadvantageous time differences in Asia Pacific, however, will see a lower level of additional spend in the region: still a very healthy $250 million.
ZenithOptimedia expects the remaining $150 million to come from Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, and the rest of the world.