The Challenge
More than 825 companies competed to support the FIFA World Cup 2026™ New York New Jersey Host Committee across paid media, advertising, events, and sponsorships. Malone Creative Group was selected to deliver the world’s largest sporting event across one of its most complex host regions. Our assignment went beyond promoting the tournament; we needed to connect New York City, New York State, New Jersey, regional transportation systems, airports, fan zones, and New York New Jersey Stadium through one coordinated strategy to build excitement, support sponsors, drive attendance, and help millions of residents and visitors move safely throughout the region.
The Approach
Unlike traditional campaign asks, this was a live, multi-state communications operation. We developed and executed a unified media and communications system across radio, social and OOH to drive fan attendance, elevate sponsors, and promise precise, coordinated movement across New York and New Jersey during the tournament, treating it as a live, evolving ecosystem – not just a media calendar.
The Results
We led media strategy, planning and buying, creative development, production, sponsorship activation, and event promotion across. Out-of-Home + Transit | Airport Media | Digital + Social Media | Search + Programmatic Media Radio + Streaming Audio | Fan-Zone Promotion | Public-Safety Communications | Events + Sponsorship Activations The campaign transformed major transit hubs into immersive environments across over 20 key locations, including Port Authority Bus Terminal, New York Penn Station, PATH, NJ Transit, NYC subways, JFK, LaGuardia, Newark Liberty Airport, Rockefeller Center, Queens, Staten Island, and Sports Illustrated Stadium. Digital and social channels promoted fan zones, transit updates, Welcome World Rewards, and public safety, while radio, streaming audio, and cultural partnerships with artists like Nas, Wyclef Jean, and Ella Mai extended regional reach. The tournament welcomed over 645,000 fans across eight consecutive sold-out matches and drew over one million attendees to official fan events, turning the FIFA World Cup into an unforgettable experience felt throughout New York and New Jersey.
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