Statistics: GFK
The longest-ever World Cup drove strong TV demand, but growth fell short of expectations
The FIFA World Cup 2026 presented a significant opportunity for retailers and brands to maximise returns. As the longest World Cup on record, the extended tournament schedule increased the period of consumer engagement and expanded the potential sales window by approximately one-third compared with previous tournaments.
H
istorically, major football tournaments have been a key trigger for TV
purchases. Even during periods of economic pressure, these events oſten encourage households to bring forward planned purchases to take advantage of promotional offers and enjoy a premium viewing experience at home on the sofa. IER are very grateful for this share from NIQ/
GfK’s Market Intelligence data prepared by Franck Saleem, Customer Success Analyst and Max Templeman, Client Insight Director, revealing how the TV market responded in 2026 and which retail channels benefitted. Longest-Ever World Cup Drives Strong TV
Demand, but Growth Falls Short of Expectations Chart 1 shows the growth rates recorded
during the run-up and earlier stages of the tournament periods across the last seven major international football competitions. Aside from the post-pandemic correction seen in 2022, major football tournaments have consistently boosted TV demand during
the months in which they took place. Viewed ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 this historical pattern would have given the industry reason for optimism. However, year-on-year growth during this
year’s tournament period, shown in green, was weaker than in 2018 (the most suitable like-for-like comparison). This was despite the participation of more countries and the addition of two weeks to the tournament schedule. The result was therefore mixed: the FIFA
World Cup 2026 supported growth of the TV market, but the uplift did not fully match the scale of the expanded tournament. This suggests that a longer event does not actually translate into proportionality higher category demand, particularly when consumers remain cautious, and face competing demands on their spending.
How did the TV market react in 2026? Chart 2 shows when we compare tournament- period sales with an average week in 2026 we can see TV sales began to over-index two weeks before the kick-off. Sales then remained consistently elevated above the annual average until the penultimate week of the tournament, where they fell slightly below the 100 index benchmark. Compared with previous
tournaments, the 2026 World Cup generated sustained demand over a longer period, proving
38 |
www.ierdaily.co.uk PEOPLE MAKE THE DIFFERENCE
a welcome commercial success for both manufacturers and retailers, albeit perhaps to a slightly more lukewarm result.
Where were people buying their TVs? To identify which sales channels benefited most during the tournament, NIQ/GfK analysed changes in TV value share across the three main channels from two weeks before kick-off through to Week 29, when the final was played. Chart 3 shows two weeks before kick-off in Week
22, Independent retailers accounted for around 4% of total TV market value. After a slight dip at the
2026
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
