Observed Signal · Jul 31, 2026 · Partnership · Source: AdExchanger · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Sweetgreen Uses Atmosphere TV DOOH During World Cup
Sweetgreen promoted its newly launched wraps during the 2026 FIFA World Cup by running digital out-of-home (DOOH) video ads via Atmosphere TV’s FAST channels in bars, restaurants and other public venues. The campaign targeted top regional markets (Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston and Washington, D.C.) and concentrated placements near store locations. Atmosphere TV, which distributes FAST channels to roughly 60,000 venues, says World Cup advertisers (including Lowe’s, GMC and Modelo) saw average sales lifts exceeding 20%. Sweetgreen reported that audiences exposed to the Atmosphere TV ads visited physical Sweetgreen stores at a 113.9% higher rate than unexposed audiences. Brand and platform execs framed the tactic as a way to reach fans congregating in public spaces around live sports events.
Demonstrates DOOH/FAST as a viable channel for live-sports advertising with measurable local-store lift, but the news is campaign-specific and not a major platform policy or technical shift.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Sweetgreen rolled out wraps in May 2026 and promoted them during the 2026 FIFA World Cup (June 11–July 19, 2026).
- Sweetgreen ran DOOH video ads via Atmosphere TV on screens in bars, restaurants and other public places during the World Cup.
- Atmosphere TV distributes FAST (free ad-supported TV) channels to roughly 60,000 venues and ran its channels alongside World Cup broadcasts.
- Sweetgreen reported that audiences who saw the campaign on Atmosphere TV-powered screens visited physical Sweetgreen stores at a 113.9% higher rate than those not exposed to the ad.
- Atmosphere TV said World Cup campaigns it ran produced an average sales lift exceeding 20% and attracted new advertiser clients including Lowe’s, GMC and Modelo.
Connected Companies & Entities
2 Entities mapped“Atmosphere TV credits this year’s World Cup for helping it attract new advertiser clients, including Lowe’s, GMC, Modelo and Sweetgreen....”
“Sweetgreen saw a roughly 4.7% drop in foot traffic on July 18 compared to an average Saturday this year, according to CBS News....”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
World Cup to Boost Digital Out-of-Home Ad Demand
Advertisers are increasing spending on digital out-of-home (DOOH) inventory ahead of the FIFA World Cup, using stadium, airport and fan-zone screens to reach live audiences. Major FIFA partners (Hyundai, Coca-Cola, Unilever) and smaller brands are planning DOOH activations alongside TV, streaming, social and experiential tactics. Industry bodies and firms — including eMarketer, the Digital Out of Home Association, OAAA, Pearl Media, Outfront and others — report strong demand and high sell-through for inventory in host cities; some operators expect near sell-outs around key fan areas. eMarketer projects U.S. out‑of‑home spend at $11.28 billion with 42.3% allocated to digital. Surveys and supplier comments suggest the World Cup will be a near-term revenue driver for OOH, while operators aim to convert one-off event demand into sustained DOOH investment.
DOOH Opportunities in Women’s Sports
The article (and accompanying The Big Story podcast episode) discusses rising viewership in women’s sports and growing interest from publishers, advertisers and tech vendors to capitalize on that momentum via channels like digital out-of-home (DOOH). It highlights the Women’s Sports Index — created by sports agency Deep Blue and data analytics platform Mondo Metrics — as a tool for brands to track engagement and purchase intent. Examples cited include Sweetgreen running ads via Atmosphere TV during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Blacksheep using digital billboards to criticize Google, and HelloFresh running AI-driven creative on Times Square digital billboards. The piece frames women’s sports fans as community-driven and different from men’s sports fans.
Stiegl runs real-time DOOH campaign for World Cup fans
Stiegl, together with media agency Media1 and Azerion Austria, ran a dynamic Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) campaign around the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Between 15 and 28 June the campaign displayed countdowns, live scores and final results in real time across 47 screens in Vienna and Salzburg, claiming roughly 11 million contacts. Creative assets were implemented as HTML5 and automated with Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO) so live triggers updated content without manual intervention. Locations included ÖBB Werbung screens for commuters and SES Spar European Shopping Centers (e.g., Europark and Forum 1) in shopping malls. Azerion Austria stated its network exceeds 5,300 digital screens and claims a 64.3% reach of Austrians aged 14–75. The case demonstrates the feasibility of synchronizing content and advertising on DOOH inventory at scale and echoes earlier examples such as Deutsche Telekom’s Tor-Alarm with Ströer.
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