(Bloomberg) -- Bank of America Corp. is adding to its list of sports sponsorships with a deal for the FIFA World Cup, looking to capitalize on the billions of international viewers the football tournament attracts.
The second-largest US bank will be the first banking partner for the event in 2026, according to company executives. They plan to have a physical presence across the host cities, both inside and outside the stadiums, to tap new and existing clients.
“Sports is the best place to engage customers,” David Tyrie, Bank of America’s chief digital officer and head of global marketing, said in an interview. “Large and diverse audiences are there, and it’s live competition.”
Financial terms of the deal with Charlotte, North Carolina-based Bank of America weren’t disclosed, but Tyrie said the sponsorship is the largest it’s made to date. The deal will make Bank of America the first global bank to partner with FIFA, which also counts brands including Adidas and Hyundai as financial sponsors.
Businesses pay millions of dollars to support sporting events such as the six Abbott World Marathon Majors and the recent Paris Olympics, which drew some 11.3 million visitors to the French capital. Last year, Bank of America added the Boston Marathon, in addition to being the title sponsor of the Chicago Marathon, to its roster of sporting events. Each of those races features thousands of runners and millions of spectators.
The 2026 World Cup will feature 48 teams from around the world across 16 host cities in the US, Canada and Mexico. The international tournament provides a platform for consumer companies such as Bank of America and existing partners including Visa Inc., Coca-Cola Co., and Qatar Airways to get their logos and messages to sports fans across the globe.
“Football connects the world like no other sport,” Bank of America Chief Executive Officer Brian Moynihan said in a statement. The World Cup “is a tremendous opportunity to celebrate the pursuit of excellence and how we deliver for our clients, teammates and the communities we serve across the US and around the world.”
Tyrie expects billions of viewers on various platforms to watch over the 39 days of the tournament. “The audience is enormous,” and “we can be the center of attention, demonstrating what the bank can do,” he said. The company spent more than six months making a pitch to FIFA for the sponsorship, according to Tyrie.
In addition to standard signage and televised advertisements during the World Cup, the bank plans to offer exclusive events around the matches, he said.
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