How brands can capitalize on the world’s biggest sports moments: Lessons from “Fuelling Fans”

October 21, 2026

“You have to plan to be agile,” explained Tara Chetkowski, Director of Marketing and Fan Development at the National Football League, speaking at “Fuelling Fans,” a Bell Media-hosted event recently held for more than a hundred advertising executives at Real Sports Bar and Grill in Toronto.

One message that speakers kept returning to at the event was that advertising on live sports means making the most of live moments. Offering a look into the future of live sports advertising — while drawing key lessons from the historic 2026 FIFA World Cup — the event provided a deep dive into what advertisers, agencies and businesses can achieve through major tentpole sports events.

While massive reach is guaranteed on tentpoles like the NFL’s Super Bowl, CFL’s Grey Cup, and the FIFA World Cup, there is much more value on the table than just a standard 30-second ad spot.
The sports sector does more than gather mass audiences: it cultivates highly enthusiastic fan communities and allows for precise targeting unlike any other medium.

Lessons from the Fuelling Fans Expert Panels

Dynamic Planning is Crucial
Plan every dollar, but do not spend it all upfront. Strategic agility is built in the off-season. Chetkowski emphasized that her team spends more time working in the off-season than in-season, as that is when the most careful strategic decisions are made. Fellow panelist Brandon Mazerall, VP of Sports and Entertainment at WPP Media, amplified this by suggesting companies frequently spend out every dollar they have, when they are better off holding back a portion back for organic moments to capitalize on them in real time.
Media Partnerships Matter
Collaborate early with your media partners. Adopting a responsive approach works best when working closely with a media partner. Sharing campaign goals and target audiences beforehand allows partners to alert you to live, contextual opportunities. “If we have a sense of the campaigns you’re running, we can be nimble,” explained Shawn Redmond, VP and GM of Sports at Bell Media.
Cultural Relevance Can Matter More than the Score
Capitalize on the “game within the game.” Pop culture moments around the sport often dominate the conversation more than the final score, such as when Hailee Steinfeld’s presence cheering on Josh Allen took over the broadcast. “Pop culture moments are the game within the game,” said Chetkowski. Speed is currency: if you are late to a viral moment, your competitor will win it.
Early Commitment Pays Off
Establish presence early to cut through fragmentation. In a highly fragmented media landscape, tentpole events offer unmatched audience consolidation. “It was really critical for us to be in that moment. If we weren’t there, it would have been a miss. Being on TV was our way in,” explained Sabrina Larosa, Senior Director of Media for Loblaw, noting that massive sports events remain the ultimate way to anchor a brand.
Measurement Matters
Larosa from Loblaws also explained her team measured everything they could during FIFA. All participants agreed that the ability to be able to benchmark and show real results is a core component of tentpole events.
Global Connectivity is Available
Use sports as a conduit for global reach. As major leagues expand their international games, sports marketing offers multinational brands (or those with global aspirations) a seamless way to connect across borders. “We’re a multi-national, and sports allows us to reach an audience in a more effective way,” said Andrew Oosterhuis, VP Marketing of Labatt.
Hyper-Localization is Too!
Target passionate micro-communities within the mass audience. Do not underestimate local fandoms. Individual teams — such as the passionate fanbase of the Iraqi team during the World Cup — allow for precision advertising. Mazerall advised thinking long-term: early alignment with rising brands and teams pays massive dividends down the road. He noted that while no one is planning yet for a Toronto Tempo championship, it is bound to happen and getting on the bandwagon early will pay off.

Going forward: Media Partnerships Create the Best Options

If there is one overarching message, it is that the sports landscape is evolving rapidly, and close collaboration with a media partner makes navigating this dynamic world far easier for both advertisers and platforms, concluded Bell Media’s Shawn Redmond.

The traditional content model has flipped—with evening TV news serving as a summary of what consumers already saw digitally all day. But that change is only the beginning.

“Sports is brand new every day,” Redmond said. “The audience is there.”

The best advertisers are already positioning themselves to keep pace with it.