For millions of soccer fans, buying World Cup tickets has been an ordeal. My friends and I had signed up for updates from soccer's governing body, FIFA, and their emails about how to buy tickets felt a bit like receiving the fine print of an insurance policy in monthly digests. First there was a presale—but it was sponsored by Visa and only for people with Visa cards, and it was a lottery.
When President Trump placed aggressive tariffs on Canadian exports, I completely swore off travel to the United States. So, when Fifa selected me during the Domestic Exclusivity phase, I leapt at the opportunity to buy tickets to a match in Canada. Each step of the online process was somewhat confusing, including a counter-clockwise circular countdown with imperceptibly slow movement and multiple login requests. Nevertheless, after a 90-minute wait, I was able to purchase tickets for my family to Canada's last group game.
Next weekend, the Super Bowl and opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics will kick off a packed season for live sports. Advertisers and media buyers have been investing in these big-ticket events since last summer. But some marketers are thinking beyond February, to June - and amending their contingency plans should political events in the U.S. derail this summer's soccer World Cup.