How affiliates can profit from the biggest sporting event of the year

In this article, 1xPartners shares practical strategies to help affiliates capitalize on the world's biggest football tournament, from building pre-event engagement and optimizing conversion funnels to maximizing player retention and long-term monetization throughout the competition.

From June 11 to July 19, national teams from 48 countries will compete in the world's most prestigious football tournament. This global sports festival has a powerful socio-cultural impact, extending its appeal far beyond the traditional football community. For affiliates, it is a unique opportunity to turn tournament excitement into real profit. The 1xPartners team has put together a comprehensive set of recommendations to help build an effective conversion funnel and maximize results. 

Global scale as a lead magnet 

The club football season runs regularly, with matches played almost every weekend. National teams compete less frequently and primarily face one another on the continental level. Due to logistical challenges, organizational complexity, and long-standing traditions, the world's premier football tournament is held only once every four years, making it the most important sporting event for football fans worldwide.

The final of the previous competition in Qatar in 2022 attracted an audience of 1.2 billion viewers. The decisive match to determine the world's new football powerhouse could surpass that figure. Global interest in the tournament in North America is driven not only by the rarity of international games but also by the sporting intrigue itself. When teams from different continents meet on the pitch, contrasting football philosophies and playing styles collide, often blurring the line between favorites and underdogs.

The upcoming tournament will also be unique due to some new features. For the first time, the world's premier football event will be hosted across three countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The number of participants has also been expanded from the traditional 32 to 48. This decision has led to significant changes in the competition format. In addition to the top two teams from each group, the eight best third-placed sides will also advance to the knockout stage. As a result, the group stage promises to be even more exciting and unpredictable. 

Every fan wants to support their national team, which is why betting activity during the World Championship extends beyond regular bettors to include newcomers who are just discovering the iGaming industry. Fan excitement ahead of their country's matches increases demand for expert predictions, competitive odds, and nice bonuses.

For affiliates, this event presents an opportunity to strengthen their core audience, re-engage inactive clients who have not placed bets for a long time, and attract new players. The biggest sporting competition of the year also has a long engagement window: over 104 matches will be played in just over a month. With the right strategy, affiliates can attract and retain audiences throughout every stage of the tournament.

Why traditional approaches won’t work  

The start of major global sporting events often triggers significant changes in audience behavior. This shift is largely due to an influx of new users, including first-time bettors looking to make predictions. Many players make emotionally driven decisions, influenced by national pride and the desire to support their favorite teams and athletes.

Newcomers need clear and valuable information: guides, analytical content, and betting market reviews. The traditional strategy of publishing previews on match day may no longer be enough. Affiliates should focus on warming up their audience before the tournament begins and continue staying ahead of demand throughout the competition.

How can affiliates prepare for the tournament? 

The key to a successful marketing campaign is early preparation with a strong focus on audience engagement. A pool of potential customers should be built before the opening match kicks off. Users start searching for information about tournament favorites well in advance, looking to place outright bets and potentially land a major win. They also compare bookmakers to find the best bonuses, promos, and odds.

For 1xPartners affiliates, this creates an excellent opportunity to acquire players before the tournament starts and monetize their long-term activity. This approach is particularly beneficial given the affiliate program's lifetime revenue-share model.

Content that works before the opening whistle 

Outright betting and long-term analytics will form the foundation of global football event preparation. The simplest approach is to publish predictions for the winner, finalists, or top three finishers. Affiliates can also offer forecasts for individual awards, such as the Golden Glove, Golden Boot, and the tournament's best player.

Predictions for national teams that will advance to the knockout stage work well as analytics for outrights. This type of content helps maintain audience interest throughout the competition.

Analytical articles featuring original insights consistently outperform standard news coverage. Audiences are looking for well-reasoned information about favorites, including detailed assessments of each team’s strengths and weaknesses. Original content becomes a key driver of user engagement. Most bettors want to consume expert analysis before following an affiliate link and placing a bet.

In the lead-up to major football tournaments, affiliates can further boost engagement by combining betting with interactive formats such as prediction contests, fantasy leagues, and quizzes. 

Technical preparation, SEO, and multi-channel promotion 

Informative analytical content is only half the battle. Building an effective conversion funnel also requires thorough technical preparation. Usability should be the top priority. Affiliates should audit their landing pages to ensure fast load times and accurate tracking. 

One of the most significant behavioral trends in recent years has been the shift toward mobile betting. As a result, landing pages must be fully optimized for smartphones and tablets. At the same time, websites should be prepared to handle peak traffic loads. If a page takes too long to load, users may leave before they even see the offer. 

To achieve strong search engine rankings, SEO-focused articles should be published several weeks before the tournament begins. This approach allows affiliates to accumulate organic traffic and establish a targeted audience ahead of the opening matches.

Marketing campaigns should be built around a multi-channel strategy, combining SEO-optimized blog and landing pages with content distributed across Instagram, Telegram, TikTok, Facebook, and other social media platforms and messaging apps. In many cases, audiences across these channels do not overlap.

There is no need to create dozens of different predictions or analytical pieces. A more effective strategy is to adapt a single high-quality prediction into multiple content formats, maximizing touchpoints with the target audience.

Retargeting as a tool for maximum monetization 

One of the key advantages of warming up an audience before the World Championship is the chance to build a user database in advance and establish a system of repeat engagement. If a lead clicks through but does not place a bet, they are not lost. On the contrary, such users often achieve high conversion rates during the tournament, particularly in the opening stages and knockout rounds. 

During the preparation period, affiliates should focus not only on immediate conversions but also on the audience. Email campaigns, push notifications, and retargeting databases can gradually increase user interest through repeated interactions. Effective tools include free beginner guides, notifications about exclusive promos and enhanced odds, reviews of the most attractive betting markets for key matches, as well as draws and contests. 

Content and advertising should work together to bring users back after their initial interaction. Achieving this requires a combination of analytical articles, short-form videos in Shorts and Reels formats, reminders about important matches, and personalized offers. Consistent visibility across multiple channels helps maintain audience attention throughout the tournament.

The value of a built-up audience becomes especially apparent on the opening day of the World Championship. Once the tournament begins, fans become emotionally invested in the key storylines and rivalries, significantly increasing desire to place their first bet.

Preparation and proactive work as keys to success 

The most successful affiliates begin warming up their audience long before the first match kicks off. During major global sporting events, the winners are those who have developed a comprehensive content strategy, engaged users early, and built an effective funnel for traffic monetization. A proactive approach allows affiliates to capture the most valuable segment of the audience: users who are already searching for expert analysis, bonuses, and the best betting opportunities.

For more practical recommendations on preparing for major sporting events, managing traffic, and maximizing audience monetization, explore the guide from the 1xPartners team available via the link.