FIFA expects this year's tournament to be watched by more than 5 billion people over the next four weeks.
"That's almost 20 times what Brazil had to invest during their tournament," said Kelli O’Keeffe, managing director of the Sports Advisory practise at Teneo Ireland."Where that's going is really on the infrastructure - what they call mega projects - so essentially on stadia." FIFA currently has seven brand partners – including big, global names like Coca-Cola, Visa and Adidas – who reportedly pay somewhere in the region of $100m every four years in order to sit at the top table.
In the lead up to major tournaments other brands also tend to unveil soccer-themed campaigns that imply a link to the World Cup - without going so far as to get on the wrong side of FIFA's branding rules."I haven’t really seen anything bar some RTÉ advertising saying that they’re covering the World Cup on television," said David McHugh, CEO of sports management and sponsorship firm Line Up Sports.
"What’s very clear – and this was evident at the start of the year – was that just 16% of sponsorship decision-makers in Ireland considered there to be any opportunity in the 2022 FIFA World Cup," said John Trainor, founder and CEO of sponsorship and research firm Onside. Given that Ireland played no part in either of those tournaments either, there must be more to the drop-off in interest this time around.
A recent survey by Amnesty International found that 66% of adults across 15 countries wanted sponsors and partners to push FIFA to pay compensation for the death, injury and wage theft that any of Qatar’s migrant workers may have faced. "The decision-making was done this time last year in terms of the World Cup," said John."The discussion around some of the risks associated with Qatar and its treatment of migrant workers and so on has been amplified over the course of the years, but sponsors already have their minds made up at that stage.
AdamMaguire It's too late for complaining. Enjoy the best sporting event on the planet.
AdamMaguire Media have invested hugely in this WC,and are doing their best to whip up enthusiasm for it but I'm seeing no excitement with the public whatsoever this time around .Perhaps that will change? - I won't be watching for the 1st time ever and I don't think I'm alone .
AdamMaguire What happens to sponsorship by alcohol companies given the ban on alcohol?
AdamMaguire Qatar is a Muslim country with Sharia law like Saudi Arabia....It was awarded the World Cup 12 years ago ....Did the advertisers Google Sharia law....
AdamMaguire i wont be watching it, its like getting served a Christmas dinner in June
AdamMaguire That’s the problem, if everyone is so concerned about human rights then a boycott of sponsors products would have had more results as money is the only thing FIFA listens to