Despite testing picture‑in‑picture ads during the Six Nations, ITV looks unlikely to use the format at the upcoming World Cup.
ITV is reportedly not planning to use picture-in-picture ads at the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The UK broadcaster secured rights to the tournament in December 2024 alongside the BBC. In addition to the huge expected audience figures, the deal became even more valuable last December when FIFA confirmed every match would include hydration breaks.
These pauses in play divide matches into four quarters and have led to debates around the tournament’s increased commercial focus.
FIFA has allowed broadcasters to run in-game adverts during the breaks, provided they are not shown within 20 seconds of the start of the pause and end at least 30 seconds before play resumes.
While fans were not best pleased with the idea, with many suggesting the player welfare measure was a way to introduce more advertising, it presented ITV with a potential opportunity to increase revenue.
Why ITV is not taking advantage
Given the opportunity, and with the BBC not showing adverts, attention turned to ITV. Until recently, it appeared the broadcaster would definitely be making use of the pauses.
In February, ITV trialled picture-in-picture adverts during the men’s Six Nations. In a UK first, adverts for Samsung and Virgin Atlantic appeared once in each half during natural breaks in play.
The trial did not go entirely to plan, with a large number of viewers taking to social media to complain. Despite some fans accusing the broadcaster of greed, Ed Abis, CEO of Dizplai, told Insider Sport the move was more likely due to wider industry pressures.
“Without new commercial models, marquee tournaments migrate behind paywalls,” he said. “This isn’t about greed, it’s about making the unit economics of free-to-air broadcasting actually work in an attention economy where rights costs keep climbing and linear advertising keeps declining.”
Abis added that viewers may eventually adapt to the format, though it now appears they may not have to just yet.
There are also practical restrictions limiting ITV’s ability to introduce in-game advertising, as reported by The Times. Ofcom rules place limits on the total amount of advertising that can be shown, meaning additional in-game adverts would likely come at the expense of traditional ad breaks.
Commercial considerations also play a role, as ITV launched its World Cup advertising packages in November, which reportedly generated strong demand. However, those deals do not cover inventory during hydration breaks, meaning introducing new formats could reduce the time available for existing clients.
Insider Sport has contacted ITV for comment.
Should fans expect it in the future
ITV has spent years securing rights to major competitions, including the Euros, Six Nations and Carabao Cup. However, as rights values continue to rise, holding onto these has become increasingly difficult.
This was evident when ITV lost FA Cup rights this season, with TNT Sports becoming the main broadcaster, while the BBC retained a smaller package of free-to-air matches.
As costs increase, broadcasters are under a lot of pressure to find new revenue streams, and additional advertising formats are seen as one potential solution. Abis noted earlier this year that he believes the success of picture-in-picture adverts may depend on the sport. “I don’t think the question is whether split-screen ads become industry standard; it’s where they work without breaking the viewing experience,” he said.
He explained rugby is better suited due to more natural stoppages in play, making the adverts easier to integrate. “Football’s far trickier because the dead time is tactical positioning that matters.”
However, the aforementioned pressures on ITV may still leave the door open. The broadcaster already holds rights to the 2030 World Cup, giving it more time to explore how in-game advertising could be introduced.
