Amid the excitement of the FIFA World Cup 2026, YouTube for Business published a report which looks at the rising influence of sports creators in the app. The study also examined and how sports influencers can drive positive benefits for brand partnership campaigns.
YouTube’s latest Creator Pulse overview shared notes on some of the most successful examples of sports creators, while also providing guidance on how brands can partner with sports creators.
As per YouTube: “With 66% of surveyed Gen Z respondents who are sports fans agreeing that they enjoy going to YouTube to watch related content before and after watching live sports, the surround sound of the game has become a core part of the fandom.”
Underlining this, YouTube highlighted Norwegian soccer player Erling Haaland as a key YouTube creator who could offer potential partnership exposure in the app.
Haaland is an established YouTube creator who has 3.29 million subscribers, and he regularly posts updates to the platform to connect with his fans.
YouTube also highlighted social media influencer, sports commentator and former college basketball player Rachel DeMita as an example of how athletes are using YouTube to build their own media platforms.
The report underlined the value of YouTube as a key connector among sports fans, which could spark more creative ideas for marketers who want to tap into this opportunity to fuel their own promotions.
YouTube said marketers can align their brands with sports influencers through ad options such as Takeovers, which allow brands to pay for custom messages from creators, and YouTube Select Line-ups, which enable ad placement alongside some of the app’s top-performing content.
YouTube added additional sports categories to its Select line-up in October.
Sports remains a key connective vehicle for billions of people, and as such, the opportunity for associated marketing is significant.
