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"Tops of Sports: Media trends shaping sports marketing for 2026"

This year, sports will be everywhere -- March Madness and the FIFA World Cup in North America will bring huge audiences and big competition for ad space.

If you’re an advertiser, the goal is simple: reach the right fans, in the right places, without overpaying.

Here’s what Nielsen data shows:

Soccer is growing fast in the U.S.: 37% of Americans expect their interest to increase ahead of the World Cup—meaning more potential customers to reach.

Fans are engaging before the big games: viewing of streaming sports documentaries is up 260% since 2021, helping build excitement and driving live viewing.

Streaming and TV reach different people: when the Super Bowl streamed on Tubi, it added a younger audience while maintaining strong TV reach.

Nielsen’s The Tops of Sports report helps you plan where to invest—across TV, streaming and digital—so your sports spend delivers real reach and impact in 2026.

Get all the insights →

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