Three-quarters of UK mobile World Cup viewers remember the ads they see, compared to half on live TV
Data from LoopMe reveals that mobile outperforms every other platform for World Cup ad recall, including TV
London, 17 March 2026: New research from LoopMe, the global leader in brand performance, surveyed 33,163 UK consumers to understand how they plan to watch the 2026 World Cup and how they engage with advertising around it. The findings highlight significant differences in ad recall across viewing platforms, with implications for how brands plan their campaigns.
The research reveals that 76% of people who plan to watch via mobile apps recall the ads they see, more than any other viewing platform. Just half (51%) of those watching on live TV say the same, a gap of 25 percentage points.
The picture across platforms tells a consistent story: digital environments outperform broadcast for ad recall across the board. Streaming services and social media both deliver 69% recall among viewers, and public viewing events like pubs and fan zones come in at 64%. Live TV, despite being the platform most viewers plan to use (63%), trails them all for ad recall at just 51%.
The findings also shed light on who is actually planning to watch. Viewership intent varies significantly by age and gender; Just 31% of 18–24-year-olds plan to tune in, compared to 44% of 45–54-year-olds and 43% of 55–64-year-olds. Men (49%) are considerably more likely to watch than women (35%).
When looking at what makes advertising work during a tournament, humorous ads are recalled by 54% of viewers, making them the most memorable creative style, while viewers who say they’re more excited about 2026 than the previous World Cup remember ads at a rate of 65%, compared to 47% among those who are less engaged.”Mobile’s lead over TV for ad recall isn’t marginal – it’s substantial, and it reflects a broader shift in how people are consuming live sport,” said Dan Sicular, Senior Manager of Insight & Analytics at LoopMe. “Younger viewers and women represent a real opportunity for brands prepared to think creatively about how they show up during the tournament. The data on humour is particularly interesting, it’s a reminder that the ads people actually enjoy are also the ones they remember.”