Why the 2026 World Cup should be the ultimate multi-channel showcase 

The Future of Audio: In Focus

AI-accelerated, people-powered are just two of the tactics required by audio brands looking to reach the final of this summer’s FIFA World Cup, says Octave’s MD.

In football, the tactics of the last tournament rarely win you the next one. The same applies to media.

As we closed out 2025, the market sent a clear signal: the “silo” is dead. We saw a year defined by the “total screen” experience, where the lines between watching, listening, and scrolling finally blurred into a single, fluid consumer journey.

As we look toward the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a new thesis is emerging for the industry. The traditional marketing funnel has flipped. In 2026, video is no longer just the final destination; it is the driver.

High-impact video, from social cut-downs to digital punditry, is now the primary engine driving audiences back to the intimate, high-dwell environment of digital audio. For advertisers, the “hook” isn’t just a 30-second spot; it’s the multi-layered ecosystem that surrounds the fan.

The AI-accelerated pitch

This transition is being supercharged by AI, but not in the way many predicted.

At Octave, News UK’s audio-visual advertising platform, we have moved past the “experimental” phase of AI. We believe AI should function as a high-performance engine that removes the friction from human creativity, rather than replacing it.

By facilitating speed and scale, this technology helps advertisers, brands, and media owners maximise the return on their investments. Ultimately, it ensures audiences receive a more relevant, seamless experience.

Late last year, we launched Octave AI, a suite of tools designed to lower barriers to entry for audiovisual advertising. By automating the technical heavy lifting – from real-time script variations to dynamic versioning and instant radio-ready production – we are enabling brands to create quick, effective campaigns that react to the “live” nature of an event like the FIFA World Cup.

A recent example of this is our partnership with Sky and the creation of an effective campaign to celebrate the dramatic end to the Formula One season in December last year.

Isabel Woodcock, publishing and audio lead at Publicis Next, lauded Octave AI’s production and dynamic creative optimisation (DCO), noting that despite the complexities and short turnaround times, the campaign was a great success and is a strong example of how responsive, data-led audio can enhance brand storytelling and deliver impact.

The voice of authority: Creators as talent

While AI gives us speed, the “people-powered” half of the equation is what wins the game.

AI provides the efficiency, but our talent provides the trust. The biggest shift we expect to see in the market this year is the final evolution of commentary talent into multi-platform creators.

Take our world-class talkSPORT commentary lineup for the World Cup: former England captain Stuart Pearce, World Cup-winning player Emmanuel Petit, and former US goalkeeper Brad Friedel. These aren’t just voices on talkSPORT shows; they are the creators in the variety of spaces where content is consumed today.

When a fan watches a snippet of Stuart Pearce’s pitch-side analysis or Emmanuel Petit’s tactical breakdown on YouTube, they are being “hooked” by the video. That visual moment then pulls them into the long-form audio experience – the live commentary or the daily podcast – where the real dwell time happens.

Crucially, this engagement starts long before the opening whistle. Through bespoke content like the ‘How to Win the World Cup’ visualised podcast with Matt Forde, we are building an on-ramp for fans to immerse themselves in the tournament’s narrative before the first ball is even kicked.

It moves the experience beyond the live 90 minutes, offering a 360-degree journey that meets the audience wherever they are. This multi-layered approach guides listeners through the ‘layers of the onion,’ transitioning them seamlessly from a 15-second social clip to a deep-dive 90-minute broadcast.

For advertisers, this is the ultimate opportunity to be part of the whole experience; by leaning into these creator-led environments, brands stop being ‘interruptions’ and become an essential part of the punditry.

The power of the Octave function

In a fragmented World Cup year, reach is easy, but understanding is difficult. This is why functions like Octave are now essential for advertisers. We operate as the connective tissue across brands including talkSPORT, Times Radio and Virgin Radio UK.

Underpinning this is News UK’s proprietary first-party data. This data allows us to move beyond simple demographics. We don’t just see a “football fan”. We see a consumer’s entire journey across our brands, allowing us to target not just by age or location, but by emotion and intent.

Octave AI allows us to take that granular data and turn it into an actionable, multi-layer creative. It’s about understanding that a listener on a smart speaker in their kitchen has a different mindset than a fan watching a video highlight on a train.

To someone taking in the punditry via YouTube or CTV on the big screen in their living room. We ensure a brand’s message is consistent and relevant across all platforms.

As we move into a year dominated by massive cultural milestones, the strategy for brands is clear. Use video as the hook to capture initial attention, then drive that audience to audio for depth and dwell time.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup won’t be won by those who shout the loudest on a single channel. It will be won by those who control the entire pitch – blending the speed of AI with the irreplaceable power of human-led storytelling.

Russell Pedrick is managing director at Octave