Business & Technology

World Cup final half-time show set to shake up ads

Published

1 hour ago

May 18, 2026

info@oxinfo.co.uk

World Cup organisers are set to introduce a Super Bowl-style half-time show for the final, a move that could extend the interval beyond the usual 15 minutes.

The change is prompting discussion among advertisers, broadcasters and media groups about how a music-led break could alter audience behaviour during one of sport’s biggest televised events.

Research cited by adtech company Adlook found that 56% of people in the UK planning to watch the tournament will be casual viewers. The study also found that 48% expect to stop watching once their team is eliminated, underlining how sharply audience numbers can shift as national interest fades.

Against that backdrop, marketing executives argue that an entertainment segment in the final could help keep occasional viewers watching for longer, particularly if the performers attract people with little interest in football.

Keith Arrowsmith, Global Marketing Director at Onetag, said the show could reshape campaign planning around the final and widen the range of content publishers produce around the event.

“Huge events like the World Cup always bring a spike in attention. Millions of people tune in, fully engaged, creating a substantial opportunity for advertisers across media. That will be especially true this summer following the introduction of an inaugural World Cup final half-time show. With megastar performers taking the stage, campaigns are likely to be planned differently to capture even more attention.

Audiences who might not usually engage with football will tune in for the show and consume online content around it. That creates new editorial opportunities for publishers and, in turn, broader coverage for advertisers: more content, more inventory, and more environments for effective campaign creative.

TV campaigns already in place for the tournament provide the appointment to view. Online advertising, alongside that, creates opportunities to engage. The latest programmatic technology gives brands easy access to highly immersive online advertising that audiences can interact with and explore at scale.

With just under a month to go until the tournament kicks off, there is still time to create strong brand experiences with programmatic creative technology. Combining the potential of appointment to view and appointment to engage will make brands that use both this year’s World Cup winners,” he said.

Audience split

For brands, the main issue is not simply the larger audience a half-time concert may draw, but that viewers may be watching for different reasons. A football audience focused on match tension and national rivalry may respond differently from viewers drawn in by celebrity performers.

Dan Ward, Deputy UK Country Manager at Seedtag, said the line-up could change assumptions about who is watching and what messaging will feel relevant during the break.

“The halftime lineup changes the conversation around who is actually watching. Madonna, Shakira and BTS bring in audiences with no particular interest in football, and that shift matters for how brands show up in that moment, in publisher content covering the event, and in the lead-up to it.

A campaign built around match tension and national pride reads very differently to an audience that switched on for the music and celebrities. The emotional context shifts completely. During the match, viewers are riding tension, nervous energy and the drama of every moment. Their attention is reactive and charged. The halftime show resets that entirely. Suddenly you have audiences in a completely different headspace: celebratory, open, and leaning in for a different kind of experience. Those are distinct emotional signals, and brands that understand the difference, using neuro-contextual insight to align their creative with what is actually driving engagement in that moment, are far less likely to feel out of place.

It will be interesting to see how brands adapt their messaging around the halftime window, and how audiences respond to the music format, particularly in markets where traditional punditry and match analysis are such a key part of the viewing experience,” he said.

His comments also point to a possible tension for broadcasters. In many markets, half-time has long been reserved for tactical analysis, highlights and studio discussion, and replacing or reducing that format may not appeal to supporters who expect a more conventional presentation.

No precedent

For media buyers and planners, the final presents an unusual problem because there is little comparable data on how audiences will behave during a World Cup final with a major live entertainment slot built into the interval.

Matt Longley, CEO at Mobsta, said the lack of historical precedent means brands may need to focus less on the match itself and more on audience movement in the surrounding hours.

“With the release of the anticipated half-time performers, the real story for advertisers is what it tells you about how audiences are going to behave. It will be interesting to see how the announcement starts shifting behaviour in the weeks before July 19: where people plan to watch, how footfall moves around cities on the day, and which areas see an unexpected surge.

There’s also a question of who tunes in who otherwise might not. Madonna, Shakira and BTS bring audiences that do not necessarily follow football, and that changes the profile of who is watching during that ad break.

This is the first World Cup final with a show at this scale, so there is genuinely no historical data to draw from. Brands focused mainly on the 90 minutes may find the more revealing picture lies in what happens in the hours around it, and whether their campaigns reflect how people are actually going to show up,” he said.

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Business & Technology

Millions overpay for sports broadband bundles after end

Published

18 minutes ago

May 18, 2026

info@oxinfo.co.uk

JOSEPH GABRIEL LAGONSIN

News Editor

Millions of UK sports fans are overpaying for broadband and TV bundles after their contracts end, according to research commissioned by comparison site Uswitch. The price gap can exceed £400 a year.

Its analysis found that premium bundles combining broadband, TV channels and live sport can rise to more than £180 a month once a 24-month term expires. By contrast, similar access bought separately through standalone broadband and monthly sports streaming services costs about £88 a month for Sky Sports and TNT Sports together.

The findings suggest widespread confusion among households that take bundled services. More than a third of bundle customers believe they must stay with their current broadband provider to keep sports access. Among those whose existing package already includes sport, that rises to 53%.

Uswitch estimated that the average out-of-contract customer on a sport-inclusive bundle could be paying about £35 a month more than necessary for the same coverage. Across the products it examined, that works out at roughly £422 a year.

Contract shock

The study compared advertised offers and standard rates across major providers including Virgin Media, Sky, BT and EE. The biggest monthly gaps appeared in Virgin Media bundles, where a sport package cost £151 a month out of contract against a cheaper standalone equivalent, while a sport-and-cinema package reached £185.

Sky packages also showed a sharp jump after introductory terms ended. A Full Fibre 300 bundle with Sky Sports rose from £61 a month on an initial deal to about £119 on standard pricing. Adding Sky Cinema lifted the monthly bill to about £136.

BT and EE showed smaller, though still notable, differences between combined packages and separate purchases. Sport-focused customers on those services could still pay between £7 and £21 a month more than for a comparable mix of broadband and apps.

The research also suggested that many households sign up for extra services around major fixtures and then fail to cancel them. One in five UK adults said they had upgraded a package to watch a specific sporting event, and 21% of that group said they never cancelled the add-on after the event ended.

Only 9% of bundle customers said they regularly check what is included in their package. Another 13% said fear of losing TV or sports access was one reason they had not switched or downgraded.

Changing habits

The economics of sports viewing have shifted as broadcasters and telecoms groups increasingly offer access through standalone apps as well as fixed-term TV bundles. Uswitch said average standalone fibre broadband at speeds between 400Mbps and 550Mbps now costs £21.87 a month across the eight providers it tracked.

Adding a NOW Sports monthly pass at £34.99 and TNT Sports through HBO Max at £30.99 brings the total to £87.85, or roughly £88 a month. For viewers following only one competition or broadcaster, the monthly cost can fall to about £55.

That flexibility is becoming more important as households scrutinise discretionary spending. While some customers who watch several sports throughout the year may still find value in a bundle, the study suggests many stay put because they assume access to sport depends on keeping broadband and TV with the same supplier.

Opinium surveyed 2,000 UK adults for the research. Based on the polling and national population estimates, Uswitch calculated that about 7 million adults are bundle customers who believe they must stay with their provider to keep sports channels or sports streaming services.

The broader market shift is also visible in broadband pricing. Some full-fibre services now start at £16 a month for about 500Mbps, helped by competition from regional providers and wider network availability, according to Uswitch.

Ernest Doku, broadband expert at Uswitch, said: “When a broadband or TV bundle ends, prices can soar, with some premium packages climbing past £180 a month. Many fans wrongly believe they must stay with their current provider to keep watching live sport, but switching to standalone broadband and rolling monthly sports apps can often deliver the same content for a fraction of the cost.

“That said, bundling can still be the cheapest option for heavy TV viewers who watch multiple sports year-round. With providers competing hard for new customers, switching to a new customer deal is a great way to capture savings without having to unbundle your services.

“Full-fibre prices have fallen to as little as £16 a month for a 500 Mbps plan, driven down by competition from regional providers. And with 80% of UK homes now having access, most households can find significantly better value than was available just a few years ago.

“With a huge Summer of Sport ahead, now is the perfect time to check your contract status. Reviewing what you actually use and comparing the latest deals could save you hundreds of pounds a year.”

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Business & Technology

Eebz launches AI models with GBP £10 million boost

Published

2 hours ago

May 18, 2026

info@oxinfo.co.uk

Eebz has launched a new suite of proprietary foundation models for eCommerce data extraction and intelligence, backed by a £10 million investment in AI infrastructure.

The Windsor-based digital shelf analytics provider said the models are designed to address persistent problems in online retail data, including inaccurate information, high operating costs and delays in producing insights. The system continuously analyses publicly available eCommerce signals to create a real-time view of products at SKU level.

At the centre of the launch is what Eebz describes as a self-correcting data engine that can detect and adapt to changes on retailer websites. The approach is intended to reduce the effort needed to maintain large-scale scraping systems and limit disruption to data collection when websites change their structure.

Digital shelf analytics has become increasingly important as more consumer purchases move online and brands seek faster information on pricing, availability, product launches and retail execution. Eebz argued that current methods often rely on fragmented web scraping or delayed third-party datasets, leaving brands with an incomplete or outdated view of their online position.

The company cited Gartner data estimating that poor data quality costs companies across industries an average of USD $12.9 million a year. Its models are designed to reduce false gaps in availability data by identifying only issues with direct commercial significance.

The technology also aims to provide a continuously updated view of category performance and retailer sell-through, allowing users to measure market share and sales in real time rather than relying on panel data that arrives later. Another claimed use is earlier detection of competitor activity, including new product launches and changes in ranging strategy.

Model design

James Sicilia, Head of Data Engineering, outlined how the system has been built. “The system is powered by 12 interconnected foundation models that work together to deliver visibility across the full product lifecycle. From launch through to delisting, the technology can analyse how products are positioned and sold across retailers.

“Eebz customers can now track products with complete accuracy, automatically matching listings to exact SKUs and monitoring them the moment they go live. This enables teams to focus on the products that drive performance. By using lifecycle intelligence, they can cut through noise and prioritise commercial action.

“Customers can also gain a clearer understanding of retailer strategy at a granular level, including how different retailers structure and manage their ranges, and which products they are likely to stock,” said Sicilia.

Eebz was founded by Peter Laughton to address what the company sees as structural weaknesses in digital shelf analytics. It focuses on consumer electronics and technology brands, where product ranges change quickly and online retail performance can shift across multiple markets and sellers.

According to Eebz, its platform monitors more than 1,500 retailers across 80 countries. Customers include Sony, Samsung, Logitech, Turtle Beach and Warner Bros Games.

Data quality

The launch comes as retailers, brands and analytics providers invest more heavily in AI tools to clean, match and interpret large volumes of commercial data. In eCommerce, these challenges often include duplicate product listings, inconsistent naming conventions, sudden website changes and gaps in stock visibility.

Eebz said its models are intended to improve product matching so customers can track exact SKUs from the moment listings go live until they are delisted. That should help teams focus on products with the greatest impact on sales performance rather than spending time on noise in large datasets.

Peter Laughton, Founder, Eebz, said the wider commercial problem is often underestimated. “Bad data in eCommerce is quietly eroding profitability. Over time, it leads to inaccurate forecasting, operational inefficiencies and a breakdown in customer trust, ultimately constraining growth, weakening competitive advantage and, most critically, reducing profitability.

“With this launch, Eebz positions itself at the forefront of a shift. We are moving from reactive analytics to predictive, intelligence-led decision-making in eCommerce. By combining automation, machine learning and our team’s deep understanding of retail dynamics, we can give brands the tools they need. This helps them compete more effectively in an increasingly complex and fast-moving digital landscape.

“We are redefining digital shelf analytics by eliminating inefficiencies and providing immediate access to commercial insight that can transform eCommerce strategies,” said Laughton.

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Business & Technology

Rare Queen Elizabeth 50p coin selling for over £60,000

Published

4 hours ago

May 18, 2026

info@oxinfo.co.uk

The item is listed on the online marketplace for over 120,000 times its face value and features the quote, God Save Our Gracious Queen.

With Queen Elizabeth II on the back, the coin dates back to 2022.

The description of this type of item reads: “The 2022 Platinum Jubilee 50p coin features a design of ‘God Save the Queen’, celebrating the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

READ MORE: Rare Beatrix Potter 50p coin collection listed for more than £40,000

The coin for sale. (Image: eBay)