How the 2026 World Cup Became an Experience Economy Goldrush

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Key Takeaways From FOX One’s Times Square “Cube” to Seattle’s floating soccer barge, brands are winning attention by creating memorable moments that turn casual viewers into engaged fans.

Watch parties, personalities and interactive fan experiences make the sport more accessible, helping the 2026 World Cup become a cultural event that extends far beyond the action on the field.

Soccer may not be “America’s Game”, but the 2026 World Cup could become its biggest event. That’s because the tournament’s real product isn’t the action on the pitch; it’s the experience around it.

NFL legend Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, a longtime soccer fan and co-host of The Late Run, sees community and creativity as the key to the sport’s growth in the U.S.

“It’s gonna catch on, and for things to catch on, you need other avenues to expose the game to people,” Johnson said while hosting a DraftKings World Cup watch party at The Shepherd & The Knucklehead in Hoboken. “You’ve got to be in the mix. If you’re not going to a game, you’ve got to go somewhere where there are a lot of people watching.”

“I think it’s all about that cultural connection,” added fellow The Late Run co-host Raheem Taylor-Parkes. “In America, not everybody’s just going to wake up and watch a 90-minute soccer game. You need something that keeps people attached to it. That’s where personalities like Ocho, or what you see on Fox Sports with Thierry Henry and Zlatan, come in. They’re characters people can connect with. What happens off the field is just as important.”

So, while nations battle for supremacy on the pitch, brands are waging a war of their own behind the scenes, racing to create the most memorable World Cup experiences.

The tournament permits companies to think far beyond the traditional sports bar, inspiring brands to get creative as they build destinations around the game. Here are a few of the companies reimagining what it means to watch the World Cup.

FOX One: Thinking Inside The Box

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