Seeking to explain the scale of the World Cup to Americans, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has repeatedly characterized the tournament as “104 Super Bowls.” But if that’s the case, how should the World Cup final itself be understood?
Derek Aframe, the Octagon executive vice president overseeing activation and hospitality for seven FIFA sponsors, said brands have approached the competition as “104 Super Bowls leading into the uber-Super Bowl.” Alex Lasry, CEO of the New York/New Jersey Host Committee, went even further, calling the weekend “bigger than a Super Bowl or Final Four weekend” and likening the event to “a mini United Nations” with “every celebrity coming.”
No matter what you call it, the world’s most-watched sporting event is culminating in the New York metro area, one of the world’s most lucrative commercial markets. That makes the Sunday, July 19 match — and the days leading up to it — a uniquely potent platform for reaching consumers, entertaining high-level clients and rewarding partners.
With the matchup still unset, a get-in ticket price of nearly $9,000 puts the event in rarefied air: in excess of any recent Super Bowl and on par with the most expensive of the New York Knicks’ NBA Finals home games.
But the high get-in cost tells only part of the story. At the top end of the market, FIFA and its official hospitality partner, On Location, are selling luxury and official access.
Of the 80,663 final attendees, 10,000 to 15,000 will be in some form of premium space. NYNJ World Cup 26
In-stadium hospitality
While matches throughout the tournament have seen various levels of usage of premium spaces, On Location President Paul Caine said “every element of what is available will be utilized” for the final. Bill Lohr, general manager for Delaware North Sportservice at MetLife Stadium, estimates that 10,000 to 15,000 of the 80,663 final attendees will be in some form of premium space.
Listed hospitality packages for the final currently range from $9,500 for a ticket with pregame hospitality outside the stadium gates to $34,500 for a Trophy Lounge+ package that includes prime sideline seating.
Beyond those offerings, On Location is arranging a limited number of “Platinum Experiences,” which Caine described as “white-glove, door-to-door service.” These bespoke packages can include transportation, VIP parking, escorted stadium entry, concierge attention, lounge access, gifting, hotel and restaurant planning and, for some final guests, access to the field during the trophy ceremony.
Caine said On Location has been “managing our inventory in anticipation of the demand continuing to grow,” with very limited premium packages remaining. Like general tickets, prices for premium packages have increased significantly since the start of the tournament last month.
For FIFA sponsors, whose rights fees can reach $200 million for a four-year cycle or $100 million for the World Cup alone, the process of allocating their limited number of final tickets is far from straightforward. Hospitality for the final requires specific planning because of the exclusivity and value of the tickets.
Ricardo Fort, a sponsorship consultant who has worked at Visa and Coca-Cola, said sponsor hospitality at the final requires months of planning, internal approvals and compliance checks before a guest list is finalized. Top-level partners may have hundreds of tickets at their disposal, including access to their own suite, while supplier-level sponsors typically have allocations in the dozens.
“We have our key strategic partners across the board, and that includes clients, our key B2B partners,” said Andrea Fairchild, senior vice president of global sponsorship strategy at Visa. “That includes our merchant partners, it includes our client bank partners and it really runs the gamut of, strategically, our B2B business and who we work with.”
High-end dining will be part of the premium space experience. NYNJ World Cup 26
Aframe, who in his role at Octagon assists some clients with their hospitality programs, described the process as a delicate balance of planning and remaining flexible.
“It’s coordinating with FIFA, coordinating with the brands and making sure that everything’s taken care of for guests,” Aframe said. “We may help develop criteria, but obviously the brands and clients decide that. What we’ve always talked about is always trying to have a few in reserve for that last-minute opportunity to give someone a chance to go, or to anticipate who might be playing who so we can factor that in.”
For Delaware North, which will have close to 3,000 employees handling food, beverage and merchandise offerings throughout MetLife Stadium, the World Cup final is poised to rival the $11 million in sales the venue generated during the 2014 Super Bowl.
While American football is more optimized for concessions sales because of its longer event window and frequent stoppages in play, Lohr said the venue has been breaking concessions records with each successive World Cup match. The final should provide Delaware North with an even longer runway, with gates scheduled to open four hours before kickoff — up from three for previous matches — and all pre- and post-match hospitality tents expected to be in use.
The food and beverage available in MetLife’s premium spaces throughout the World Cup has already been high-end, but the menu for the final will be elevated further. While Delaware North may add items once the finalists are known — and is prepared to accommodate special requests from VIPs — the core suite menu for the match has been finalized for months.
In prior rounds, main meat entrees have included USDA Prime New York strip and beef tenderloin. For the final, the menu features an A5 Wagyu New York strip. Instead of salmon crudo or crab cocktail, guests will be offered a caviar and blini tasting.
Still, Lohr said Delaware North is making sure traditional stadium fare is available even in MetLife’s most premium spaces.
“What we’ve found through the tournament — we’ve had seven games now — is that some of them are looking for smashburgers or chicken fingers or hot dogs,” Lohr said. “So you have to make sure that you mix those in with all the high-end and fancy foods that we’re doing.”
Delaware North’s team for the World Cup at MetLife Stadium includes guest chefs from Wembley Stadium, Lambeau Field and UBS Arena. Delaware North
Beyond the stadium
After five weeks of matches across three countries, the World Cup’s business ecosystem will converge on New York City next week, with activity expected to intensify Thursday after the semifinal matches in Dallas and Atlanta.
For the first time, FIFA is working with U.K.-based marketing firm iLUKA Collective to create a central VIP gathering space called FIFA House at GH on the Park, a luxury event venue overlooking Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan. In addition to invited guests expected to include brand executives, soccer administrators and government officials, FIFA is selling full-week passes for $10,000 and individual session passes for between $1,100 and $2,000.
“The IOC’s ‘Clubhouse’ has happened for as long as I can remember — super exclusive, super expensive if you want to buy a pass, but also super useful because if you need to host someone, this is a place to go,” Fort said. “So, I think it’s a good initiative from FIFA, and the price is just a reflection of the price point for this World Cup.”
Sponsors are also expected to stage their own houses, dinners and private events around Manhattan, turning the weekend into a Super Bowl-like circuit for clients, executives and partners.
Fanatics’ four-day sports convention, Fanatics Fest, will also be a focal point. In addition to a lineup of athletes and celebrities that includes LeBron James, Tom Brady, Serena Williams and Jay-Z, FIFA will have a major presence at the Javits Center and will hold its official final press conference there on Friday.
For the public, the NYNJ World Cup 26 & Telemundo Fan Village at Rockefeller Center will be a primary hub of activity. Amanda Morris, director of marketing for The Home Depot, said the iconic and central location made it a natural spot for the brand to stage its largest final-week activation.
The Home Depot will also have a presence at Central Park, the site of the host committee’s public watch party with Global Citizen, which is also producing the halftime show. Between Rockefeller Center and Central Park, Lasry expects to attract “a few hundred thousand people” during final week.
Manhattan will be filled with fans at watch parties, including the NYNJ World Cup 26 & Telemundo Fan Village at Rockefeller Center. AP Content Services for Tishman Speyer
Logistical complexities
Getting fans from New York City to MetLife Stadium has been a logistically complex undertaking throughout the World Cup.
With virtually no parking available in the surface lots around the stadium and limited spaces available at the adjacent American Dream shopping complex, organizers have pushed fans toward either the $98 round-trip New Jersey Transit train or the $20 host committee shuttle bus service.
Despite those constraints, ingress and egress have been largely smooth. Earlier MetLife matches saw 97% of fans scanned before kickoff, and crowds cleared from the property in two-and-a-half hours or less.
For the final, the degree of difficulty will increase because of heightened security measures tied to the expected attendance of President Donald Trump, other heads of state and celebrities.
Even with more VIPs expected to arrive by private transportation — including via the door-to-door service provided by On Location — Lasry said organizers are still treating the World Cup final as a “public transit event first.” Shuttles will begin five hours before the game instead of four for past matches.
“Make your final experience the entire day — just be there early, get ready for the final and have fun,” Lasry said.
