London, UK | Alex Ward-Booth, Director
1. Brits left it late
For the UK, one striking feature of this World Cup was how little momentum it seemed to have at the start, with England’s opening game arriving nearly a week into the tournament. This was likely driven, at least in part, by continued pressure on household spending: BrandVue shows that 28% of UK consumers were significantly more likely to buy cheaper brands and/or shop in less expensive stores in June, up 2 percentage points from the previous period.
While the tournament did not initially feel like a national moment, behaviours began to change as England’s opener approached. This aligned with what we were hearing from bar staff: “There were no table bookings up until yesterday. Then suddenly the phone would not stop ringing.”
The late surge in engagement was also reflected in wider consumer behaviour across the UK, with around 4 in 10 (39%) deciding where they would watch the game only on the day of the match itself. The shift was also evident across hospitality: data from payment platform Zonal showed pub bookings were up 300% versus last year.
The lesson for brands is simple: in pressured markets, engagement may arrive late, but it can still arrive rapidly.
2. England games broadened the pub crowd
When watching the game at the pub, crowds felt noticeably broader in age and gender than a typical football occasion. Data from BrandVue Drinks supports this observation; the share of drinking occasions taking place in a pub or bar in June 2026 rose by two percentage points to 23%, driven mainly by 50 to 59-year-olds and females – reflecting a change in the typical pub-going demographic.
This broader audience was also reflected in changing drinking choices. The World Cup may not just be increasing volume; it may be widening participation and broadening drinks repertoires. In my own group, choices varied; most drank Guinness, while I chose a Lucky Saint – and our data suggests that I was far from alone. Among those watching England matches, 15% chose a low-strength or alcohol-free beer, while 4 in 10 (44%) had soft drinks or water.
This raises an important question for brands: were England games creating more space for more moderate drinking choices?
3. By kick-off, many brand choices may already be made
From a UK consumer perspective, one thing that stood out was how little beer marketing seemed directly tied to the World Cup. To an extent, this may reflect differences in market relevance; global sponsors such as Michelob Ultra do not necessarily have the same salience in the UK. But there may also be a more strategic explanation. By match day, many consumers have already decided what they are buying. At that point, brands are less likely to shape consideration and more likely to compete for visibility within an already-planned occasion.
Our BrandVue Drinks data supports this. Around half of drinkers (53%) stuck to their usual brand whilst watching the World Cup, while 4 in 10 (41%) switched from their usual choice and tried something new during the game. This suggests two distinct opportunities for brands: first, to build relevance before the tournament begins among habitual buyers, and second, to understand what prompts switching among those who are open to changing their drink choices.
New York, USA | Shreya Suresh, Research Analyst
1. The tournament fit existing habits
In New York City, the World Cup arrived at exactly the right time. Group stage matches ran from noon to around 11pm (ET), with late afternoon and evening games aligning neatly with post-work happy hours. Rather than asking people to reorganise their day, the tournament gave them a reason to do more of what they were already doing. That tracks with what we saw in BrandVue Drinks, where drinking occasions that mentioned “watching sport” as the stated purpose rose from 9% to 11% between May and June, while the share of occasions taking place in a pub or bar climbed from 13% to 14% over the same period.
On the heels of the NBA Finals rounding out in June, several bars across the city had already blurred the distinction between match viewing and typical drinking occasions – extending happy hour pricing, increasing staff headcount, and several even buying additional TVs and equipment for viewings. Meanwhile, NYC Tourism collaborated with local bars and restaurants to offer $26 World Cup meal deals and drink specials, further enticing consumers to watch the games outside of the comfort of their homes.
That presents a useful lesson for brands: the easiest occasions to activate are the ones that extend existing behaviour rather than interrupt it.
2. New York’s audience consisted of many audiences
During the group stage, every bar was flooded with a sea of colourful jerseys: Brazil, Morocco, Argentina, USA and more, often in the same room. This reflected the city itself, where long-established ethnic communities brought their own football traditions and watch-party cultures into the tournament.
For drinks brands, the implication is clear – New York’s World Cup audience is not one homogeneous consumer group, but many drinking cultures sharing the same city, each with its own loyalties, motivations and price sensitivities.
3. Michelob Ultra earned its moment
Michelob Ultra’s World Cup visibility in New York was hard to miss. But the brand’s advantage was not built by tournament sponsorship alone. When the Knicks won their first championship in 53 years on June 13, Michelob Ultra responded immediately with a massive billboard in Times Square, connecting itself to a major local cultural moment just as the World Cup began. By the knockout rounds, it had already built strong sports equity in New York.
BrandVue showcases that clearly. Between May and June, positive buzz around Michelob Ultra increased, brand momentum strengthened, and consideration ticked up. Yet actual usage remained flat over the same period, suggesting that while the NBA Finals and World Cup visibility had boosted visibility and put Michelob higher on people’s consideration set, they had not yet translated into a meaningful shift in what people were actually drinking. This is reflected in broader drinking habits: lager remained the most consumed drink among sports followers on their last drinking occasion, while among football fans the share of those drinking while watching sport edged up only marginally, from 15% to 16%.
This serves as a sharp reminder that by the time a major tournament arrives – whether the Olympics, World Cup, NBA finals, a Grand Slam or a Formula 1 weekend – brand decisions may already be made. Visibility during the event can build salience, but it does not automatically translate into preference.
What does this mean for brands?
The World Cup did not create one single consumer moment. Instead, it revealed a series of different audiences, occasions and decision points that brands need to understand.
- There is no single playbook. London and New York show how the same tournament can activate different dynamics across markets. Brands that understand which audiences they want to win with – and when – will create more effective activations.
- Visibility builds salience, but not always behavioural change. If consumers remain loyal to familiar brands, the opportunity lies in influencing consideration before the tournament begins, not simply appearing once it is underway.
- Winning brands adapt to the occasion. Whether through moderation, fitting into existing social habits, or connecting with local fan cultures, success depends on having a credible role in the moments that matter.
BrandVue helps brands understand changing consumer behaviour through ongoing audience insight. BrandVue Drinks applies those insights to the drinks category, tracking brand perceptions, drinking occasions and consumer choices.
Get in touch to discover how events like the World Cup are shaping brand perceptions, drinking occasions and consumer choices – and how your brand can respond with greater confidence.