The “Second Screen” Dominance: How to Capture World Cup Fans via OEM Feeds

If you’ve ever watched a World Cup match, you know the drill: the ball goes out for a corner, and suddenly, half the stadium (and everyone on their couch) looks down. We’re living in the age of the second screen, and those smaller devices are now too big to ignore. While the 22 players are battling it out on the grass, a much larger battle for attention is happening on the 5-inch glowing glass rectangles in our hands.

For marketers, the 2026 World Cup isn’t just a sporting event, it’s a gold rush. But, if you’re still just buying standard mobile web banners, you’re playing in the amateur leagues. To win the tournament, you need to go deeper than the browser — you need to get onto the device itself.

6 Steps to Capture Mobile Screening World Cup Fans With Native Device Placement Integration

Step 1: Enable OEM and Pre-Installed News Feed Targeting

Most advertisers think the internet starts when a user opens Chrome or Safari, but they’re missing the “Minus-One” screen — that dedicated news feed you see when you swipe right on your home screen. This is OEM (original equipment manufacturer) traffic — it’s native, device-installed, and essentially unskippable.

Because these ads are baked into the phone’s interface, they reach the user before they even think about searching for a scores app. It’s a high-converting placement for lead generation because you’re meeting the user at the OS level.

Step 2: Use Motion Creative to Stand Out in Fast-Scroll Feeds

During a high-stakes match, a fan’s thumb moves faster than a striker on a breakaway. Static images are easily ignored in a sea of sports headlines, which is why I love motion ads, especially when you’re looking to boost your scroll depth and engagement rate. Think of motion ads as short, silent, looping animations — about 6 to 10 seconds of visual disruption. Whether it’s a ticking odds clock or a player mid-celebration, it’s the visual equivalent of a loud whistle; it forces the user to pause and look.

By tracking scroll depth (how far down the page a user actually travels) and your engagement rate (the percentage of people who actually interact with your content), you’ll get a clearer picture of whether you’re truly capturing attention or just being scrolled past.

Step 3: Extending the Lookback Window

One of the biggest mistakes performance advertisers make is being too impatient. During the World Cup, a fan might click your ad during the opening ceremony, browse the odds, but not actually make a deposit until their home team reaches the knockouts. That’s why I recommend extending the usual seven-day attribution window to the maximum of 30 days. A seven-day window is too short for a month-long tournament; you need 30 days to capture the full conversion value.

Step 4: Geo-Targeting the Fan Zones and Host Cities

The 2026 World Cup is spread across the USA, Canada, and Mexico. A fan in a Vancouver “Fan Zone” has a completely different intent than a casual viewer in a pub, so use dynamic creative optimization (DCO) to swap your headlines based on the user’s location. If they’re near a stadium on match day, your copy should pivot from “Watch the Game” to “Bet Live From the Stands.” Targeting specific high-density GPS coordinates ensures you aren’t just reaching fans, but reaching super-fans.

Step 5: Implementing Event Sync Bidding Shuttles

The most valuable minutes of the World Cup are halftime and the 30 minutes following the final whistle. This is when second-screening peaks. Work with your platform to implement bid multipliers during these windows. By aggressively outbidding competitors during the half-time surge, you capture high-intent traffic that’s actively looking for scores and post-match analysis on their device feeds. These users aren’t distracted; they’re highly engaged in a multi-platform experience, making them prime targets for a well-placed ad.

Step 6: Creative Refresh Mentality (Avoiding Tournament Fatigue)

A headline that feels fresh during the group stages will feel like old news by the semi-finals. You need a library of creative assets ready to go. I recommend a weekly refresh strategy:

• Week 1: Education and App Installs.
• Week 2: High-value deposit bonuses.
• Week 3 & 4: Specific match-up “Boosted Odds.”

By rotating your creative, you prevent ad blindness, and keep your engagement steady throughout the entire tournament.

Key Takeaways

Moving beyond the traditional browser and onto the device itself means betting brands can maintain locked-in visibility during critical match windows. By combining OEM placements with motion creative and extended lookback windows, you turn a global sporting event into a localized revenue engine.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What exactly is OEM traffic and how is it different from standard mobile web ads?

OEM traffic hits users where they live — right in the device’s native features like the lock screen, pre-installed browser start pages, and the “minus-one” news feed. While standard mobile ads sit around waiting for someone to visit a specific site, OEM placements are baked into the phone’s actual interface. This makes them essentially unskippable and puts your brand front and center during those high-heat moments, like when a fan instinctively grabs their phone at halftime.

Is OEM traffic better for driving installs or first-time deposits?

Both, really, but it especially shines during that initial activation phase. Since OEM ads pop up while fans are in a “lean-back” mood — scrolling through news and catching up on scores — they’re much more likely to pull the trigger on a new app install just to peek at the next match’s odds. Once you’ve secured that real estate on their device, the locked-in advantage of OEM kicks in, keeping your brand top-of-mind until they’re ready to make that first deposit.

How do I stand out in a fast-scrolling mobile news feed during the World Cup?

Go with motion creative. In a crowded news feed, a static image is just background noise waiting to be ignored. Short, silent, 6-10 second looping videos — what we call motion ads — are the ultimate thumb-stoppers because they grab the eye without feeling like an intrusion. High-energy visuals, like a striker mid-shot or a live countdown of ticking odds, are exactly what you need to dominate those high-speed second screen environments where fans are scrolling for updates.

Does OEM traffic work for both iOS and Android users?

While you’ll find the biggest scale for Lock Screen and Minus-One feeds on Android — thanks to direct partnerships with heavyweights like Samsung and Xiaomi — you shouldn’t leave iOS players on the sidelines. For a true full-coverage mobile strategy, you’ve got to bridge the gap by targeting Apple News and high-intent sports apps. By hitting both ecosystems, you ensure your brand is the MVP on every screen, regardless of which operating system your fans are carrying in their pockets. Just remember to split out device types (iOS vs. Android).

Is OEM traffic considered brand safe for sports betting?

Yes: OEM traffic is served on what’s called “premium real estate” — the actual hardware of the device. Because these placements are the result of direct partnerships with the manufacturers themselves, your ads show up right alongside high-quality system notifications and curated news feeds. This allows you to completely bypass those low-quality zones and sketchy corners often found in long-tail mobile apps, ensuring your brand stays in a high-trust, elite environment.