World Cup ad costs rose 17% as brands battled for attention, says Billo

Advertising costs surged during this summer’s World Cup as brands competed for consumers’ attention, with new research from creator marketing platform Billo showing the cost of a single video ad increased by 17% compared with the average between July and September 2025.

The analysis, which examined more than 13,000 creator-made video ads across 15 e-commerce categories on Meta, TikTok and YouTube Shorts, found advertising became more expensive in 13 of the 15 sectors tracked as global brands ramped up spending around the tournament.

According to Billo, the end of the tournament presents a fresh opportunity for smaller businesses that were priced out during the competition, with the company arguing brands should focus on relevance and creative quality rather than increasing media budgets.

Sporting goods was the standout category during the tournament, benefiting from its close association with football. Ads in the category achieved a hook rate of 28.9%, the highest of all sectors analysed, while purchases linked to those campaigns increased 26% compared with the category’s 2025 monthly average. Click-through rates also rose by around 31%.

Despite the stronger engagement, sporting goods advertisers still faced significantly higher costs. Spend per ad increased by around 37% compared with the category’s 2025 benchmark, although campaigns generated approximately 15% more revenue per dollar while spending around 16% less per ad than the average across other categories.

Donatas Smailys, CEO of Billo, said the World Cup created an increasingly difficult environment for smaller advertisers.

“The World Cup creates a battle for attention that goes far beyond the matches themselves. Big brands can run campaigns across TV, social media, sponsorships and creators all at once. Small businesses are chasing the same customers, but they can’t respond by matching that budget.”

The findings reflect wider industry trends. According to Common Thread Collective, Meta’s cost per thousand impressions (CPM) reached a four-year high this summer, climbing above $17 compared with around $12 during summer 2024. Meanwhile, WARC estimates the World Cup will contribute an additional $10.5 billion in global advertising spend this quarter.

Rather than competing on budget alone, Billo argues smaller advertisers should concentrate on producing multiple creative variations, testing different hooks and investing behind the best-performing content once media costs begin to fall.

Donatas Smailys, CEO of Billo, added:

“When advertising gets this competitive, a business really has three choices: spend more, reach fewer people, or find a more relevant way to get noticed. The third option is what we saw play out in sporting goods.

“Prices drop once the final’s over, and that’s your chance to make back some of what this month cost. Post a few ideas organically first and let the audience tell you what’s landing. That signal is free. Give creators a clear brief and let them run with it, then put money behind the one that’s already working.”

Billo’s research compares advertising performance during June 2026 with the average monthly performance recorded between July and September 2025. The study analysed more than 13,000 creator-made video ads across 15 e-commerce categories, with media spend figures reflecting advertising platform costs rather than Billo’s fees.