The World Cup audience doesn’t disappear during halftime. It picks up a phone.

Summary

This article argues that major sporting events like the World Cup are no longer single-screen experiences; fans now instinctively use smartphones as second screens for real-time scores, stats, and highlights. Liftoff's internal data from its SSP, Vungle Exchange, reveals that during the World Cup, ad impressions in sports scoring apps nearly doubled (+90%) and unique audience grew ~40% compared to pre-tournament levels. BeSoccer, a leading football companion app, corroborates this with a 63% increase in daily active users, 128% more visits, and a 72% rise in programmatic RPM.

These metrics demonstrate a surge in premium, non-gaming, SDK-direct mobile inventory exactly when brands compete for attention. Television still anchors shared emotional moments, but mobile captures active, intentional engagement—fans open these apps on purpose. Critically, a Liftoff-commissioned Altman Solon study found advertisers invested only $0.07 per user hour in third-party mobile apps in 2024, compared to $0.38 in traditional TV, indicating a significant attention-underspend gap.

For ad ops decision-makers, the actionable takeaway is to treat major events as multi-screen from the start: use broadcast and CTV for awareness and emotional impact, then extend campaigns into premium mobile apps to reach audiences during key moments (kickoff, halftime, after goals). Platforms like Vungle Exchange enable targeted, high-attention mobile placements. The lesson extends beyond football to the Olympics, March Madness, and NFL playoffs.

Brands that design campaigns recognizing both screens will capture audiences across the full consumer journey.

Analyst Note

The article’s data from the 2026 World Cup underscores a fundamental shift in how audiences consume live sports: the smartphone is no longer a secondary screen but a synchronous companion. What’s notable here is the scale of the mobile opportunity—ad impressions nearly doubled, and unique audience grew 40% in scoring apps. The key implication for ad ops professionals is that the current allocation of advertising dollars (TV: $0.38 per user hour vs.

mobile apps: $0.07) is misaligned with actual attention. This isn’t just about incremental reach; it’s about capturing intentional, high-engagement moments during breaks in the broadcast. For monetization strategists, the BeSoccer case highlights that premium, SDK-direct mobile inventory can command higher RPMs during events (72% increase) while providing a privacy-safe, contextually relevant environment.

Worth watching is how this data point pressures platforms to integrate CTV and mobile app planning within a single workflow—something the article hints at but doesn’t fully address. The broader signal: as live events become multi-screen by default, the winners in AdTech will be those who can seamlessly connect the emotional anchor of TV with the interactive intent of mobile, not just serve retargeted ads.