As Spanish football fans celebrate their team’s 2026 World Cup victory, marketers have another major cultural event to analyze and important lessons to apply. Our analysis shows how essential continuous relevance has become for brands seeking to capture attention at scale. Visibility alone does not determine success. Instead, speed and proximity to the action increasingly separate the brands that remain top of mind from those that fade into the background.

Overall, the FIFA World Cup 2026 brand conversation moved through three phases: pre-event campaign building, first-half live-tournament acceleration, and second-half engagement consolidation. And as our Meltwater Match Heat Intelligence dashboard shows, interest was high throughout. From June 3 to July 20, 2026, there were over 44 million pieces of World Cup-related content that generated over 9.2 billion engagement actions. July 19, the day of the final game, had the highest level of buzz by far, generating over 3.51 million pieces of content. 

As the tournament progressed, brand performance depended less on conversation volume and more on how effectively brands connected themselves to live match moments. The data reveals which strategies, including repeating social post formats and behind-the-scenes creator access, sustained audience engagement after the initial excitement subsided.

Why World Cup sponsorships gained value during live matches

How content creators drove World Cup brand engagement

Why World Cup engagement rose as mentions declined

How Meltwater helps brands optimize cultural event marketing

What the 2026 World Cup means for brand sponsorship strategy

FAQ: World Cup sponsorship and social media marketing trends

<table class="table-primary alternate-color">
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <th scope="row">Capability</th>
      <td><a href="https://www.meltwater.com/en/capabilities/social-listening">Meltwater Social Listening</a></td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <th scope="row">Analysis window</th>
      <td>
        June 11 to July 19<br>
        <strong>First half:</strong> June 11 to June 30<br>
        <strong>Second half:</strong> July 1 to July 19
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <th scope="row">Data sources</th>
      <td>
        The event overview covers the full tracked World Cup conversation across all source types, including social platforms, online news, broadcast, and other indexed sources. The sponsor and brand-collaboration analyses are restricted to social channels only, including TikTok, Instagram, and X.
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <th scope="row">Brands and entities tracked</th>
      <td>FIFA World Cup 2026, including participating brands and related topics</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <th scope="row">Key term definitions</th>
      <td>
        <strong>Conversation:</strong> The volume of relevant news articles, social media posts, and other monitored content mentioning the tournament, participating brands, or related topics.<br><br>
        <strong>Engagement:</strong> Interactions generated by the content, such as likes, comments, shares, and reposts.<br><br>
        <strong>Engagement per mention (EPM):</strong> The average number of interactions associated with each tracked mention.<br><br>
        <strong>Share of voice (SOV):</strong> A brand’s percentage of the tracked total for a given metric.
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <th scope="row">Additional notes</th>
      <td>
        Post-level evidence comes from exports of the 2,000 most-engaging posts for sponsors and brand collaborations. Percentages for post examples refer to the relevant top-export engagement base, such as sponsor top-export engagement or brand-collaboration top-export engagement.
      </td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>


Our pre-World Cup analysis showed that non-sponsor collaborations generated more engagements per mention. Once the tournament began, official sponsors gained the upper hand thanks to highly visible, repeatable content formats that attached them to live match moments.  

For example, among official World Cup sponsors, AB InBev generated the highest share of engagement at 31.2% despite only having about 6% share of the mentions.

This outsized engagement was largely thanks to AB InBev brands’ consistent visibility in FIFA-owned social media series, including the Michelob ULTRA Superior Player of the Match and Budweiser Celebration of the Match posts. 

The fans have spoken – Julián Alvarez is your @michelobultra Superior Player of the Match! 👏 #FIFAWorldCup #SuperiorPOTM

One of the most successful was FIFA World Cup’s post celebrating Argentina’s Julián Alvarez as the Michelob ULTRA Superior Player of the Match. That single TikTok accounted for about 2.4% of all engagement of the top sponsor posts in the second half of the tournament. 

Meanwhile, Adidas was the most mentioned World Cup sponsor throughout the tournament, generating about 17% of mentions. It also achieved the second highest share of engagement at 21.8%.

Unlike AB InBev, which generated about 31% share of engagement largely via sponsored FIFA social posts, Adidas also drove audience conversation and interaction through its own branded content. One example from the first half of the tournament is a TikTok starring Lionel Messi that generated over half a million likes. 

However, in the tournament’s second half, Adidas also benefited from FIFA-owned tournament-awards content such as a Golden Boot Race post and a FIFA Adidas Awards post, which generated about 3.5% and 2.3% of second-half sponsor top-export engagement, respectively.

These and other moments highlight how the greatest value of an official sponsorship is the ability to become part of the tournament’s built-in, recurring storytelling formats. Content properties highlighting star players and high-profile plays give brands repeatable access to the moments fans are already motivated to watch and share. With them, brands can build recognizable content franchises that turn each match into another opportunity to reinforce the association.

What this means for brands: For marketers evaluating sponsorships, the key question is which emotionally significant moments the rights allow the brand to credibly own.

YouTube was the official Preferred Platform for the FIFA World Cup 2026, and that partnership’s success became clear in the second half of the tournament. Some of the highest-performing brand-collaboration posts from that time period came from YouTube creators. 

Zhong’s “Can I Kick Harder Than Ronaldo?” ad (about 5% of engagement)

Topper Guild’s “Can I Find Lamine Yamal At The World Cup?” ad (3.3% of engagement)  

Neagle’s “Eu conheci o Cristiano Ronaldo” ad (2.4% of engagement)

Overall, the YouTube-FIFA partnership helped keep creators in the spotlight during the knockout phase in terms of both scale and audience interaction. So while on-field action was the focal point, YouTubers gave viewers the kind of behind-the-scenes access to star players that broadcasts of the games can’t match.

Mexico breaks 40-year drought in LEGO World Cup knockouts #lego #fifaworldcup #tiktokcampaign #soccer #legotiktok 

Meanwhile, LEGO, the leading non-sponsor brand from the lead-up to the tournament, continued its relevance throughout the World Cup with the help of LEGO-loving creators. For example, during the first half of the tournament, videos from Hall of Fame Builder featuring a life-sized bracket made of the iconic bricks generated almost 3x more engagement than LEGO’s own account. This performance was led by match-simulation posts highlighting Switzerland beating Canada and Paraguay beating Germany. The same creator repeated that success in the second half of the tournament, with high-performing posts about historic milestones, exciting advancements, and surprising upsets as they happened along the way.

What this means for brands: Creator partnerships help brands extend their relevance across long-term events, especially when creators have distinctive formats they can apply to live developments. Rather than commissioning isolated endorsements, brands should identify creators whose existing concepts can become repeatable event franchises. Giving those creators exclusive access and the freedom to respond quickly can produce more sustained engagement than relying on brand-owned channels alone.

Overall engagement increased by 7% in the second half of the World Cup, even as mentions fell by 19%. In other words, as the tournament progressed, audiences concentrated their attention on a smaller number of more heightened moments and storylines.

Before the World Cup began, the buzz around the global tournament was powered by anticipation for both the games and the cultural fanfare around them. Brands got in on the conversation with high-profile athlete collaborations and product launches. 

However, as the tournament went on and mentions fell, brand performance became dependent on how well they could react to live moments, such as gameplay and audience debates around rules, restrictions, and the spectator experience.

Though the second half of the World Cup generated fewer mentions, interactions rose, particularly for official sponsors, who saw an impressive 67% increase in engagements per mention. 

Notably, Reddit’s presence became more prominent rising from about 20% of all first-half mentions to over 27% in the second half. This shift suggests that as casual launch-period buzz subsided, more of the conversation moved toward the kinds of sustained discussion and analysis for which Reddit is particularly well suited.

What this means for brands: As tournaments and other, sustained cultural events unfold, brands should adjust their channel and content strategies, moving from broad awareness-building before kickoff to more responsive, context-driven participation during decisive moments. The growth of Reddit also shows why marketers must look beyond highly visible social posts and monitor the communities where fans discuss what happens on the field.

Major events move quickly, and the conversations surrounding them can change from broad anticipation to concentrated debate within days. Meltwater helps marketing and communications teams identify those shifts and respond while audience attention is still high.

Use Case 1: Track live audience attention

The problem: Brands can miss high-impact moments when they rely on campaign reporting that arrives after the conversation has moved on.

Monitor mentions, engagement, sentiment, and source distribution in real time.

Identify emerging athletes, match moments, controversies, and fan discussions.

Compare performance across brands, sponsors, campaigns, and tournament phases.

Business outcome: Teams can prioritize the moments most likely to generate attention and act before their relevance fades.

Use Case 2: Measure sponsorship and creator performance

The problem: Visibility metrics alone do not reveal which sponsorship assets or creator partnerships are producing meaningful audience interaction.

Measure share of voice, engagement, and engagements per mention.

Analyze the posts and content formats driving performance.

Compare official sponsors, creator activations, and other brand collaborations.

Business outcome: Marketers can invest in partnerships and content properties that generate stronger, more repeatable returns.

Use Case 3: Understand conversations across communities

The problem: Major cultural conversations extend beyond the most visible posts, making important audience debates easy to overlook.

Track discussion across social media, Reddit, online news, broadcast, and other indexed sources.

Analyze how topics, sentiment, and audience behavior differ by channel.

Build dashboards and alerts around specific brands, events, and emerging narratives.

Business outcome: Brands gain a fuller view of audience response and can adapt messaging to the communities influencing the conversation.

Turn live moments into measurable impact. Request a demo to see how Meltwater helps brands track conversations, find the right creators, and act while attention is peaking.

For marketing around major cultural events, the 2026 World Cup demonstrated just how important real-time relevance is over broad exposure. Much like quick decision-making helped Spain come out on top on the field, the brands that “won” the tournament did so by responding quickly and connecting themselves to widely discussed athletes, plays, and live moments.

Looking forward, marketers should watch how rights holders package repeatable content franchises, as well as how platforms such as Reddit influence audience engagement. Future sponsorship value will increasingly depend on a brand’s ability to participate credibly while attention is peaking.

Did World Cup engagement increase during the second half?

Yes, engagement increased by 7% during the second half of the tournament. Meltwater data shows that this increase occurred even as total mentions declined by 19%, indicating that attention became concentrated around fewer, higher-impact moments.

Why did official World Cup sponsors perform better once matches began?

Official sponsors gained access to recurring content tied directly to live tournament moments. Meltwater analysis shows that branded player awards, celebrations, and FIFA-owned social series helped sponsors maintain visibility while audiences were most engaged.

Which World Cup sponsor generated the highest engagement share?

AB InBev generated the highest sponsor engagement share at 31.2%. According to Meltwater analysis, its performance was supported by recurring FIFA content featuring Michelob ULTRA and Budweiser branding.

Which World Cup sponsor received the most mentions?

Adidas generated the largest share of sponsor mentions at approximately 17%. Meltwater data also placed Adidas second in engagement share, reflecting the combined impact of its branded content and FIFA-owned awards coverage.

How did creators contribute to World Cup brand marketing?

Creators provided behind-the-scenes access and entertainment formats that traditional match broadcasts could not offer. Meltwater analysis found that YouTube creator collaborations were among the highest-engagement brand posts during the tournament’s second half.

Why did Reddit become more important during the World Cup?

Reddit’s share of tracked mentions rose from about 20% in the first half to more than 27% in the second half. Meltwater data suggests that audience activity shifted toward sustained discussion, analysis, and debate as the initial tournament buzz subsided.

What should brands learn from the 2026 World Cup?

Brands should adapt their strategy as an event progresses. Meltwater analysis shows that broad awareness helped before kickoff, while live-event performance increasingly depended on fast reactions, credible cultural relevance, creator access, and participation in active fan conversations.

Why live match moments, creator access, and evolving fan conversations determined which brands captured attention during the 2026 World Cup.

World Cup 2026 Marketing and Sponsorship Trends

Selling anything online that is associated with a sense other than sight is a bit of a paradox. Fragrances in particular present an interesting challenge.

Unlike makeup, skincare, or fashion, perfume can't be demonstrated with a before-and-after photo or tried on through augmented reality. Consumers can't smell a fragrance through a screen, making it one of the most difficult beauty products to market digitally.

Even so, every day, creators convince millions of viewers to buy perfumes they've never smelled through reviews, layering routines, GRWMs (Get Ready With Me), blind-buy recommendations, and viral reactions. The result is an ecosystem where creators don't just recommend fragrances—they shape trends, launch products into the mainstream, and influence purchasing decisions around the world.

Here are the biggest lessons beauty marketers can learn from today's top fragrance influencers.

Download a one-page pdf summarizing the findings of this analysis

The state of fragrance influencer marketing

The brands winning fragrance conversations

How creators sell products consumers can't smell

This analysis is based on data from the ‘Fragrance – Macro Influencers' report’, produced using Meltwater's Influencer Marketing platform, covering activity between April 1 and June 30, 2026. The dataset includes 1,000 macro influencers—creators with Klear Influence Scores between 75 and 90 who collectively published 5,812 fragrance-related posts across TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and X.

Throughout this report, Estimated Media Value (EMV) refers to the estimated advertising value generated by influencer content. We also analyzed top-performing posts, captions, brand mentions, disclosure language, fragrance notes, and recurring content themes to understand not just who performed best, but why their content resonated with audiences.

While fragrance creators are active across every major social platform, one platform clearly dominates the conversation.

During the three-month analysis period, influencers generated more than $922 million in EMV, with TikTok contributing over $565 million—more than half. Facebook ranked second, followed by Instagram, and X. Together, these five platforms generated a total reach of over 1.2 billion people and approximately 9.6 billion impressions, demonstrating just how influential fragrance creators have become within beauty marketing.

The audience itself is perhaps not surprising, but still notable. Nearly three-quarters of followers are women, and the vast majority fall between the ages of 18 and 34, making fragrance influencer marketing especially valuable for brands targeting younger beauty consumers. While the United States represents the largest audience, creators also reach significant communities across Brazil, the United Kingdom, Spain, and dozens of additional markets.

For marketers, this highlights an important shift: fragrance marketing no longer needs to be concentrated within beauty magazines or department store counters. Despite the unique challenges of selling such a scent-based product online, discovery is increasingly happening through creator recommendations, viral TikToks, and social-first storytelling.

One of the clearest findings is that influence isn't distributed evenly.

A relatively small group of macro creators drives an outsized share of both reach and estimated media value. However, perhaps the more surprising insight is that the creators with the biggest audiences aren't always the ones generating the greatest business value.

<table class="table-primary alternate-color">
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Rank</th>
<th>Influencer</th>
<th>Reach</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td>Jeremy Fragrance</td>
<td>122.1M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2</td>
<td>Paul Fino</td>
<td>96.1M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td>Lina Noory</td>
<td>73.9M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4</td>
<td>dyanbay</td>
<td>34.2M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5</td>
<td>Mina Zibayi asl</td>
<td>33.4M</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

Jeremy Fragrance led the field by total reach, with more than 122 million people reached during the reporting period. Paul Fino and Lina Noory followed closely behind, while together the top three creators accounted for nearly one-quarter of the program's total reach.

At first glance, it might seem that audience size is the best indicator of influencer success, but the EMV rankings tell a different story.

Top fragrance influencers by estimated media value

<table class="table-primary alternate-color">
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Rank</th>
<th>Influencer</th>
<th>Estimated Media Value</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td>Lina Noory</td>
<td>$153.4M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2</td>
<td>Paul Fino</td>
<td>$99.0M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td>Jeremy Fragrance</td>
<td>$97.2M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4</td>
<td>Chantel Mila</td>
<td>$33.6M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5</td>
<td>Claus</td>
<td>$22.3M</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

Influencer Lina Noory illustrates why marketers should be looking beyond basic reach or follower count during their influencer partner research. Although she ranked third in overall reach, she generated more estimated media value than any other creator in the dataset: over $153 million. Meanwhile, the top three creators collectively produced nearly 38% of the program's total EMV, showing just how concentrated value can become among the right creator partnerships.

For brands, this reinforces an important lesson: reach is only part of the equation. The best influencer partnerships are the ones that inspire audiences to engage, share, and ultimately take action — not simply those that maximize impressions.

Marketers often focus on vanity metrics like likes and comments when evaluating influencer campaigns. But there’s another metric that deserves far more attention.

Among TikTok fragrance posts, shares showed the strongest correlation with overall post performance, outperforming likes, comments, and even saves.

<table style="width:100%; border-collapse:collapse; font-family:Arial, sans-serif; font-size:14px;">
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td style="padding:12px; border:1px solid #ccc; font-weight:bold; width:40%;">Engagement Metric</td>
      <td style="padding:12px; border:1px solid #ccc; font-weight:bold;">Performance Correlation</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td style="padding:12px; border:1px solid #ccc;">Shares</td>
      <td style="padding:12px; border:1px solid #ccc;">0.83</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td style="padding:12px; border:1px solid #ccc;">Saves</td>
      <td style="padding:12px; border:1px solid #ccc;">0.66</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td style="padding:12px; border:1px solid #ccc;">Likes</td>
      <td style="padding:12px; border:1px solid #ccc;">0.65</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td style="padding:12px; border:1px solid #ccc;">Comments</td>
      <td style="padding:12px; border:1px solid #ccc;">0.65</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Correlation between engagement type and overall post performance among fragrance influencer posts (April–June 2026). Higher values indicate a stronger relationship with post success.

Fragrance is highly personal but can also be appreciated among peer groups. Viewers often pass content along to friends with messages like:

Unlike “likes” which represent a more passive approval, shares indicate that a creator's recommendation has become valuable enough for someone else to circulate within their own network.

So, optimizing for shareability means thinking differently about creative briefs. Instead of asking creators to simply review products, brands should encourage formats that naturally spark conversation and recommendation.

The best-performing posts gave audiences a reason to pass them along. Reasons vary by creator, but generally fall into one of four categories:

Useful recommendations, such as affordable alternatives or "must-have" lists.

Surprising visuals, like massive collections.

Exciting launches, particularly new product releases from major beauty brands.

Universal moments, including GRWMs, date-night routines, and seasonal fragrance recommendations.

For marketers, this offers an important reminder: shareability comes from usefulness or emotion—not promotion. Instead of asking creators to simply introduce a product, consider how the product can become part of a larger conversation audiences are already having — or how it can naturally fit into their already busy lives.

The content formats that consistently win

High-performing fragrance content isn't built around elaborate production or polished advertising. Instead, the creators generating the most engagement rely on a handful of repeatable storytelling formats that give viewers a reason to watch, save, or share.

Whether they're showcasing their five favorite summer perfumes or revealing a wall of 2,000 fragrance bottles, creators establish authority by demonstrating expertise before making recommendations. The format immediately answers the viewer's question: Which fragrances are actually worth buying?

this is what a 2,000 bottle fragrance collection looks like. ty for letting me raid it @Cal Cologne  #perfume #perfumetok #fragrance #nichefragrance #fragrancecollection 

Large collections, rankings, and "best of" lists also create natural opportunities for discussion. Viewers can compare their own favorites in the comments while saving videos to reference during future shopping trips.

Instead of focusing solely on fragrance notes, creators often answer a much more practical question:

Wedding perfumes. Date-night fragrances. Summer vacation scents. Office-safe perfumes. First-date recommendations. These are all potentially anxiety-inducing choices. Enter: influencers.

By anchoring fragrance to a specific occasion, creators make these products immediately relatable and accessible. Rather than asking viewers to imagine how something smells, they help them picture themselves wearing it.

Some of the most successful fragrance videos barely describe the scent at all.

Instead, it’s the reaction that inspires a visceral “I need this” response. Wide-eyed excitement, notable surprise, and visible disbelief all lend themselves well to selling a product that depends on a sense that viewers can’t access through the screen.

Only about 2% of sampled captions explicitly disclosed a paid partnership or gifted product, even though roughly 22% mentioned a brand in some capacity.

That doesn't necessarily mean the remaining posts weren't sponsored. Many partnerships are disclosed using platform-specific labels rather than caption text, while others may involve affiliate links, gifted products, or long-term creator relationships.

What this data reinforces is one of the many nuances that make influencer marketing so effective:

The highest-performing content rarely feels like traditional advertising.

Instead of leading with promotional messaging, creators weave fragrances naturally into daily routines, special occasion routines, recommendations, and personal stories.

In addition, emphasizing that a recommendation isn't sponsored with statements like: "These are my actual favorites" or "Not sponsored—just obsessed” have become trust signals in their own right, and are used frequently by influencers.

For brands, this underscores the importance of choosing creators whose audiences already trust their recommendations. The most effective influencer partnerships don't interrupt a creator's usual content—they fit in naturally.

Giving creators room to tell stories in their own voice often produces stronger business results than tightly scripted campaigns.

Which brands are winning the fragrance conversation?

Not all fragrance brands appear in social conversations for the same reasons. Some dominate because of new launches. Others succeed by becoming staples in affordable recommendation lists or "dupe" discussions.

The analysis found Huda Beauty leading all brands by overall mentions, driven largely by excitement surrounding the launch of its Easy Bake fragrance. 

The @Huda Beauty new easy bake perfume is INsaneee tooo!! 

 Sephora followed as the most-mentioned retailer, while Dossier, Dior, Sol de Janeiro, Armani, Kayali, Lattafa, Carolina Herrera, and Kilian Paris rounded out the top ten.

During the analysis period, each brand occupied a different role within creator content.

The overwhelming majority of Huda Beauty mentions centered on launch excitement and first reactions.

Rather than explaining fragrance composition, creators focused on anticipation, surprise, and immediate emotional responses.

Dossier appeared most frequently in creator rankings and recommendation lists.

Mis 3 favoritos de @Dossier Perfume  🤍✨ #dossier #dossierperfumes 

Its positioning as an accessible alternative to luxury fragrances made it particularly well suited for save-worthy content comparing value across multiple products.

Unlike fragrance houses themselves, Sephora frequently appeared as the destination where viewers could explore new releases or compare recommendations from multiple creators.

The retailer effectively became part of the discovery journey rather than simply the point of purchase.

Sweet scents are the most popular descriptors

Fragrance creators revealed clear preferences in how they describe fragrance.

When specific scent notes appeared in captions, sweet gourmand fragrances led by a significant margin, followed by fruity and floral profiles. Woody, spicy, oud, and amber notes appeared far less frequently.

That doesn't necessarily mean woody or spice-based fragrances aren't popular, but it does reflect the language that creators believe resonates most with audiences.

Creators also appear to rarely discuss technical fragrance classifications like eau de parfum (EDP), eau de toilette (EDT), or concentration levels. Instead, they overwhelmingly used the broader word "perfume," reinforcing that social audiences respond more strongly to clear descriptions than technical specifications.

How online creators sell fragrance products when consumers can't experience the scent

Fragrance creators have none of the advantages that other beauty products can rely on.

Fragrance is one of the hardest products to market online. Discover how creators overcome that challenge with authentic storytelling, emotional reactions, and share-worthy content.

The Data Behind Successful Fragrance Influencer Marketing

The State of Origin, Australia's premier interstate rugby match, captured national attention across the 3 matches. During the seven weeks between the opener and the decider, State of Origin 2026 generated 294K mentions and 1.06M engagements, a 49% and 330% jump on 2025. Here's what the data reveals about who drove and where the real opportunity sits for brands.

Bigger than 2025, and the numbers show it

The stars who drove the conversation and why it matters

Broadcast built the crowd and social owned the conversation

From Insight to Intelligence: How Meltwater Social Listening Platform Helps

What Sports Marketers Can Learn from State of Origin 2026

<table style="width:100%; border-collapse:collapse; font-family:Arial, sans-serif; font-size:14px;">
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td style="padding:12px; border:1px solid #ccc; font-weight:bold; width:30%;">Capability</td>
      <td style="padding:12px; border:1px solid #ccc;"><a href="https://www.meltwater.com/en/capabilities/social-listening">Meltwater Social Listening Platform</a></td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td style="padding:12px; border:1px solid #ccc; font-weight:bold;">Analysis window</td>
      <td style="padding:12px; border:1px solid #ccc;">21 May to 9 July 2026, with year-on-year comparison against the equivalent 2025 series window</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td style="padding:12px; border:1px solid #ccc; font-weight:bold;">Data sources</td>
      <td style="padding:12px; border:1px solid #ccc;">
        30 sources, including broadcast television and radio, online and print news, blogs, comments, reviews, forums, podcasts, TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, Facebook, Pinterest, X, Douyin, Red, YouTube, and more.
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td style="padding:12px; border:1px solid #ccc; font-weight:bold;">Language</td>
      <td style="padding:12px; border:1px solid #ccc;">English</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Across the 21 May to 9 July window, the series generated 294K mentions and 1.06M engagements across news, broadcast and social channels, tracked in Meltwater’s Social Listening Platform. The daily trend shows spikes concentrated around match days, Game 1 alone driving 247K engagements, but conversation never went quiet between them. The seven weeks between opener and decider sustained a steady baseline, driven by coaching debate, player news and off-field storylines that kept the series alive well beyond the final whistle. 

Against last year's benchmark, these numbers carry even more weight:

<table style="width:100%; border-collapse:collapse; font-family:Arial, sans-serif; font-size:14px; color:#1A1A1A;">
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; font-weight:600; background:#28BBBB; color:#FFFFFF; border:none;">Metric</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; font-weight:600; background:#28BBBB; color:#FFFFFF; border:none; text-align:center;">2025</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; font-weight:600; background:#28BBBB; color:#FFFFFF; border:none; text-align:center;">2026</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; font-weight:600; background:#28BBBB; color:#FFFFFF; border:none; text-align:center;">YoY change</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#FFFFFF;">Mentions</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#FFFFFF; text-align:center;">198K</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#FFFFFF; text-align:center;">294K</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#FFFFFF; text-align:center; font-weight:600; color:#1C7070;">+48.5%</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#F0F4F4;">Engagement</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#F0F4F4; text-align:center;">247K</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#F0F4F4; text-align:center;">1.06M</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#F0F4F4; text-align:center; font-weight:600; color:#1C7070;">+329%</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

**2025 volumes are calculated across the same 21 May to 9 July window in 2025, for a like-for-like comparison. 

Why it matters: Live sport remains one of the few moments that reliably concentrates national attention in Australia, and this year's growth shows appetite expanding, exactly the signal a broadcasting deal is built on.

The State of Origin 2026 series generated more than 393K engagements across the 3 game days, but that conversation was far from evenly distributed. Attention was front-loaded and match-day concentrated:

<table style="width:100%; border-collapse:collapse; font-family:Arial, sans-serif; font-size:14px; color:#1A1A1A;">
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th style="padding:12px 16px; background:#28BBBB; color:#FFFFFF; font-weight:600; text-align:left; border:none;">Game</th>
      <th style="padding:12px 16px; background:#28BBBB; color:#FFFFFF; font-weight:600; text-align:left; border:none;">Date</th>
      <th style="padding:12px 16px; background:#28BBBB; color:#FFFFFF; font-weight:600; text-align:left; border:none;">Dominant Narrative</th>
      <th style="padding:12px 16px; background:#28BBBB; color:#FFFFFF; font-weight:600; text-align:left; border:none;">Mentions</th>
      <th style="padding:12px 16px; background:#28BBBB; color:#FFFFFF; font-weight:600; text-align:left; border:none;">Engagements</th>
      <th style="padding:12px 16px; background:#28BBBB; color:#FFFFFF; font-weight:600; text-align:left; border:none;">Key Takeaway</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#FFFFFF; vertical-align:top;">Game 1</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#FFFFFF; vertical-align:top;">27 May</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#FFFFFF; vertical-align:top;">NSW comeback after Ponga dismissal</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#FFFFFF; vertical-align:top;">28.2K</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#FFFFFF; vertical-align:top;">247K</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#FFFFFF; vertical-align:top;">Highest engagement of the series</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#F0F4F4; vertical-align:top;">Game 2</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#F0F4F4; vertical-align:top;">17 Jun</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#F0F4F4; vertical-align:top;">Coaching and selection debate</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#F0F4F4; vertical-align:top;">22.9K</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#F0F4F4; vertical-align:top;">69K</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#F0F4F4; vertical-align:top;">Lowest engagement despite potential decider</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#FFFFFF; vertical-align:top;">Game 3</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#FFFFFF; vertical-align:top;">8 Jul</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#FFFFFF; vertical-align:top;">Refereeing controversy and Cleary performance</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#FFFFFF; vertical-align:top;">24K</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#FFFFFF; vertical-align:top;">76.9K</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#FFFFFF; vertical-align:top;">Strong finish driven by controversy</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

The biggest engagement spikes came from cultural moments, not scheduled fixtures.

Game 1 (27 May) produced the biggest reaction, 247K engagements off 28.2K mentions, driven by NSW's comeback after Ponga's dismissal, amplified by a single Fox Sports article generating 154.25K engagements alone. Game 2 (17 June), by contrast, was the quietest (69K engagements, 22.9K mentions) despite being a potential decider, as conversation shifted onto Daley's coaching and selections. Game 3 (8 July), the decider, rebounded to the series' second-highest engagement, fuelled by refereeing controversy and praise for Cleary, Moses, Murray and Bradman Best, a reminder that cultural impact, not fixture importance, is what actually moves conversation. 

Why it matters: Audience attention ebbs and flows throughout a sporting series. Rather than treating every fixture as equally valuable, brands should monitor where conversation is building and concentrate investment around the moments that generate the greatest cultural impact. 

Nathan Cleary was the runaway story, the most discussed player by far at 30.2K mentions, more than double the next name. Cameron Munster came second at 14.6K, Queensland's most talked-about figure, with James Tedesco rounding out the top three at 13.2K. 

Cleary and Tedesco dominated conversation during the two biggest games of the series. In Game 1, both emerged as the most-discussed players on the back of standout performances, with Tedesco's last-minute defensive save that overturned a Maroons score and sealed the win. In Game 3, Cleary generated the highest player conversation volume of any game following another influential on-field performance, while Tedesco's concussion and failed HIA became a major post-match talking point. 

Munster's volume built steadily, reflecting his role as the face of Queensland's campaign: a fitness scare kept him out of training two days before Game 1, and press duties alongside Billy Slater kept him visible throughout.

Why it matters: The biggest engagement opportunities weren't confined to athlete sponsorships. Unexpected narratives around players that unfolded between matches often generated just as much attention as the games themselves. Brands that continuously monitor the conversation can identify emerging moments early and create timely, relevant content while the story is still unfolding.

<table style="width:100%; border-collapse:collapse; font-family:Arial, sans-serif; font-size:14px; color:#1A1A1A;">
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th style="padding:12px 16px; background:#28BBBB; color:#FFFFFF; font-weight:600; text-align:left; border:none;">Channel</th>
      <th style="padding:12px 16px; background:#28BBBB; color:#FFFFFF; font-weight:600; text-align:left; border:none;">Primary Role During State of Origin</th>
      <th style="padding:12px 16px; background:#28BBBB; color:#FFFFFF; font-weight:600; text-align:left; border:none;">Best Opportunity for Brands</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#FFFFFF; vertical-align:top;">Broadcast Radio</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#FFFFFF; vertical-align:top;">Reach &amp; awareness</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#FFFFFF; vertical-align:top;">Mass audience exposure</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#F0F4F4; vertical-align:top;">Broadcast TV</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#F0F4F4; vertical-align:top;">Live event coverage</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#F0F4F4; vertical-align:top;">Match-day visibility</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#FFFFFF; vertical-align:top;">Online News</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#FFFFFF; vertical-align:top;">Highest engagement</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#FFFFFF; vertical-align:top;">Newsjacking and thought leadership</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#F0F4F4; vertical-align:top;">YouTube</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#F0F4F4; vertical-align:top;">Highlights &amp; analysis</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#F0F4F4; vertical-align:top;">Video sponsorship and post-match content</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#FFFFFF; vertical-align:top;">X</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#FFFFFF; vertical-align:top;">Live reaction</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#FFFFFF; vertical-align:top;">Real-time community engagement</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#F0F4F4; vertical-align:top;">Reddit</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#F0F4F4; vertical-align:top;">Fan discussion</td>
      <td style="padding:12px 16px; border-bottom:1px solid #E1EFF0; background:#F0F4F4; vertical-align:top;">Community insights and sentiment</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Broadcast built awareness. Social platforms converted attention into participation.

Two distinct ecosystems shaped the State of Origin conversation. Broadcast radio and TV dominated mentions, combining for 62.7% of the total, with radio alone at 39.2% and TV at 23.5%. But when fans engaged, they did it elsewhere: online news drove 46.1% of engagements, YouTube 29.3% and X 13.5%, with broadcast contributing a fraction of the engagement it generated in mentions. 

The content driving each platform told different stories. On YouTube, match highlight packages dominated: the Game 1 highlights video drew 417K+ views and 6,170 engagements, with extended Game 2 highlights adding 283K more. Post-match analysis performed strongly too, Andrew Johns' Game 1 verdict and Game 2 breakdown (135K+ views) showed YouTube's audience engaged as much with the debate after the whistle as the action during it.

On X, conversation was faster and more reactive: the highest-engagement posts were real-time fan takes on the Ponga send-off and refereeing decisions, alongside commentator analysis of Queensland's coaching errors and NSW's selections

Why it matters: Audiences experience major sporting events across multiple channels simultaneously. Broadcast drives awareness, while digital platforms each fulfil different audience needs, from live reaction and debate to highlights and analysis. Brands that understand these channel behaviours can tailor their content and distribution strategy to match how fans consume the event.

The Problem: Brands that only activate on match days miss the between-game conversation, coaching decisions, player news and off-field storylines that kept the series alive long after the final whistle.

Monitor mention and engagement volume continuously across the full series window, not just match days.

Identify off-field moments generating spikes between games as they emerge.

Business Outcome: Activation decisions reflect the full shape of the conversation, not just the moments scheduled in advance.

Use Case 2: Detecting Emerging Personalities and Storylines

The Problem: The biggest opportunities in live sport don't always come from the scheduled action. Athletes, coaches, commentators and other personalities can quickly become the focus of the conversation through unexpected moments, creating new opportunities for brands to engage while interest is still building.

Track mention volume, engagement and sentiment for key personalities alongside the wider event conversation. 

Compare how different personalities and narratives are performing to identify where audience attention is shifting.

Business Outcome: Brands can identify the personalities and stories driving attention early, enabling faster, more relevant content and campaign decisions while the conversation is still unfolding. 

Use Case 3: Identify Moments for Brand Activation 

The Problem: A spike in mentions can look like an opportunity, but volume alone doesn't say whether a moment is safe to attach a brand to. Some of this series' biggest spikes, referee anger, coaching blowback, were driven by frustration, not celebration.What You Can Do:

Break down the sentiment behind any spike (positive, neutral, negative) before deciding whether to activate.

Separate moments that are genuinely positive and shareable from ones that are contentious or blame-driven, even if both produce similar volume.

Business Outcome: Brands can capitalise on emerging moments as they unfold, increasing the relevance and impact of their campaigns.

Why engagement matters more than mention volume

Engagement outgrew mentions by a wide margin (+330% vs +49% YoY). A brand tracking mentions alone would have missed the real story: fans were sharing, reacting and debating far more intensely than the volume numbers suggest, which is where sponsorship and content actually earn value.

Why brands can't afford to only activate on match days

Match days still produced the biggest spikes, Game 1 alone drove 247K engagements, but conversation never went quiet in between. A steady baseline of coaching debate, player news and off-field storylines carried the series across seven weeks, meaning brands active only on game days miss most of the window where audience attention actually lives.

Why YouTube deserves more investment than many brands give it

YouTube led social engagement at 29.3%, with post-match breakdowns drawing 135K+ views alongside match highlights. Brands weighting spend toward broadcast and live-day social are missing the channel where fans spend the most time actually engaging with content after the event.

Why sentiment should guide sponsorship activation

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