World Cup streams generated 11.57 billion addressable ads for Yospace

Yospace stitched 11.57 billion addressable advertisements into live video streams during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, averaging 297 million ads per day across the 39-day tournament.

The data came from Yospace’s global customer base, including 14 broadcasters and distributors that streamed World Cup coverage. The daily total was 41% higher than the number of ads the company stitched during the Paris 2024 Summer Games.

The tournament included 16 more teams and 40 more matches than the 2022 World Cup. Three-minute hydration breaks in each half also created additional advertising opportunities for rights holders.

Yospace recorded 637 ad breaks during the tournament, including hydration breaks, compared with 326 in 2022. The total reflected the larger number of matches, additional breaks and games that continued into extra time.

The company’s busiest period occurred at the start of halftime during England’s quarterfinal match against Norway. Yospace stitched 13 million addressable ads within a two-minute window.

Yospace used its Advanced Prefetch system throughout the tournament to distribute ad requests over a longer period and prepare for unscheduled breaks during extra time and penalty shootouts.

Audience changes around match events also affected advertising opportunities. Stream starts increased 37% during a three-minute video assistant referee review after France was awarded a penalty against Morocco in the quarterfinals.

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The hydration break followed about a minute after Kylian Mbappé missed the penalty. Yospace recorded an audience drop-off of 0.4% during hydration breaks for some matches, compared with 16.82% during halftime.

Belgium’s comeback from a 2-0 deficit against Senegal in the round of 32 produced a 93% increase in stream starts over two minutes. The audience declined 11% after the final whistle as viewers remained for extra time, compared with the roughly 50% decline Yospace typically recorded at the end of a match.

“The 2026 FIFA World Cup demonstrates the massive scale we’re seeing for ad-funded streaming today,” Tim Sewell, CEO of Yospace, said. “The excitement of these moments, when entire nations are tuning in, means that the quality of the experience and the seamlessness of the advertising is absolutely critical. It’s a testament to the experience and dedication of the entire Yospace team that we have such a strong reputation for monetising major live events. The data tells us that we’re only scratching the surface of the kind of scale that live streaming is set to achieve, and Dynamic Ad Insertion technology must be able to meet that demand.”