As advertising prices rose during the World Cup, small businesses struggled to compete with global brands. Now that prices have normalized, Billo’s expert says the answer isn’t to spend more; creates original, creative ads that connect with the right audience.
The World Cup final took place on Sunday, ending the most expensive advertising period in years. New information from the creative marketing platform Bill Compared to the average price between July and September 2025, advertisers see a 17% increase in the cost of a video ad. There was growth in 13 of the 15 e-commerce categories tracked.
Billo Meta, a marketplace that connects brands with video creators, analyzed more than 13,000 ads across 15 categories across TikTok and YouTube Shorts. The data points to what small businesses should do as tournament prize money rises: spend on relevance, not volume.
The analysis showed that, unsurprisingly, the category that benefited the most from the World Cup was Sporting Goods. Their consistency helped them achieve a hook rate of 28.9%, the highest among the 15 categories tracked. Purchases associated with these ads increased 26% over the 2025 monthly average, and click-through rates increased nearly 31%.
Billo CEO Donatas Smailys says rising costs and global campaigns provide small businesses with good options.
“The World Cup creates a battle for attention that goes far beyond the matches themselves,” said Smailys. “Big brands can run campaigns across TV, social media, sponsorships and creatives all at the same time. Small businesses are chasing the same customers but can’t match that budget.”
Billo isn’t the only one tracking ad spending. according to Common Subject CollectiveMeta’s cost per thousand impressions, how much it costs to show an ad to 1,000 people, hit a four-year high this summer, jumping from about $12 to $17 in the summer of 2024. WARC It expects the World Cup to add $10.5 billion to global ad spending this quarter.
“When advertising If it’s competitive, the business really has three choices” Donatas Smailys added: “Spend more, contact fewer people or find a more appropriate way to attract attention. The third option is what we see in Sporting Goods.
Sporting goods arrive with relevance
Affordability is what saves sporting goods, the category most tied to the tournament. Billo’s data shows that sporting goods ads have a hook rate of 28.9%, the highest of the 15 categories watched, meaning more viewers continue to watch within the first few seconds rather than skip past. Purchase numbers associated with these ads increased by 26% compared to the category’s 2025 monthly average, and click-through rates increased by nearly 31%.
Sporting goods advertisers also earned about 15% more than the overall average, while in other categories they spent about 16% less per ad on average.
However, ads for this category were still more expensive than last year. Compared to sporting goods in 2025, spending per ad in the category is still up, up nearly 37%.
“Sports products fit with what people were already watching and talking about. However, the lesson for smaller brands is not to slap a football reference on every ad,” Smailys said. “It’s about finding a real connection between the product and the moment – getting ready for a match, hosting friends, whatever people are already doing.”
Post-Tournament Playbook
Billo’s advice for the coming weeks: don’t put everything behind one big ad. Create a few shorter versions with different hooks and different faces, test them, then move to whichever one fulfills the budget. Target communities that already care about a sport or team, not the entire tournament audience.
“Prices drop after finals, and this is your chance to recoup some of that month’s cost,” Smailys said. “First, post a few ideas organically and let your audience tell you what lands. This signal is free. Give creators a clear message and let them run with it, then put money behind an idea that’s already working.”
Methodology
Billo’s analysis compares ad performance in June 2026 with average monthly performance from July to September 2025, the most recent consistent database available. The 2026 data set includes more than 13,000 creator-produced video ads across 15 e-commerce categories, compared to 79,347 ads analyzed in the three-month comparison period of 2025. Spend per ad figures reflect media spend on ad platforms, not Billo’s fees. Sporting goods changes were measured by the category’s monthly average of 2025; Comparisons between categories were made in June 2026.
