The Good, The Bad & The Advertising: Lessons from U.S. Sports
The 2026 FIFA World Cup drew plenty of criticism, but it also had plenty of positives. Take, for example, the much-maligned Hydration Breaks. Most football fans would be happy enough to see players take a bit of water during the game when it is played in searing heat, but was it necessary in air-conditioned stadiums? Depending on your broadcast feed, those breaks were also seen as an excuse to stuff a few adverts in, making it feel much more like an American presentation, where adverts tend to permeate sports broadcasts more than in any other country.
Yet, while some (mostly European) football fans sneer at the U.S. sports model, there are plenty of things that they arguably do better. Consider the draft system, for example, which can help weaker teams get a leg up and, over time, make sports leagues more competitive. Imagine that at the end of the 2026/27 Premier League season, the teams at the bottom of the table got first dibs on young, talented players, while the Arsenals and the Man Citys had to wait their turn.
U.S. Sports can be more competitive
Of course, the big sports leagues in the U.S. are perfect models of equity, but there is definitely something to be learned. We often talk about the Premier League being the most competitive in the world, but consider that there have been five different winners of the Super Bowl in the last six years, whereas the Premier League has had just seven different winners in its 34-year existence. It’s not just the draft system; other systems are in place, such as salary caps and luxury taxes, but the NFL is a more competitive product overall.
American sports culture is certainly growing in the UK. We see it in everything from media access to teams to a greater focus on stats. Concepts that befuddle traditional football fans, like xG, have long been ingrained in American sports culture, used as fuel for DFS and football player props betting. The focus on stats is neither a good or a bad thing, though some argue it rips some of the enjoyment out of the game.
With advertising, it is true that American sports broadcasts tend to be more intertwined with advertising than European ones. However, there are areas were American sports, or most American sports, won’t go. For instance, it is an almost alien concept over there to see NFL, MLB, or NBA jerseys with sponsor logos. Many see it as almost sacrilegious to besmirch a shirt of a hallowed team like the Cowboys or Lakers with an advert. We seem to have no problem stuffing on logos in Europe. Indeed, more and more are creeping onto the kit: does your team have a ‘sleeve’ sponsor? A separate training kit sponsor?
It looks likely that we are going to borrow more from America in the coming years. At the time of writing, the NFL is in London for the London Games, a now-annual tradition. The NBA has its eyes set on a European League, with several British franchises potentially lined up. There are plenty of things we probably don’t want to see as a lasting legacy, from time-outs that suit advertisers to higher ticket prices (a looming threat), but it’s probably worth remembering that there are a few ideas from U.S. sports that might actually be quite pleasant for those who matter – the fans.