The World Cup is over, but for the affiliate market its results are only starting to form a complete picture. Some partners saw growth in sports traffic; others used the tournament to stress-test infrastructure, launch new products, and activate local audiences.

HolyTraff gathered opinions from 22Bet Partners, HELL PARTNERS, WILD WILD APPS, 1xCasino Partners, Cosmobet, JetTon Partners, Samurai Partners, Rocks Partners, DID Global, and MelBet Partners to understand which sources worked best, how user behavior changed, and which mistakes the market should not repeat ahead of the next major sports event.

A single source no longer solves everything

SEO turned out to be one of the most frequently mentioned channels. It was highlighted by 22Bet Partners, HELL PARTNERS, 1xCasino Partners, Cosmobet, Samurai Partners, and Rocks Partners. In almost every case, though, this wasn't about spinning up content during the tournament — it was the result of groundwork laid months in advance.

According to Rocks Partners, search demand rose noticeably for both informational and commercial queries: users searched for predictions, odds, bonuses, and first-bet guides. The bulk of this traffic went to sites that had prepared content in advance and secured their positions in the search results.

22Bet Partners also named SEO as one of the most stable sources, but singled out Telegram separately. Placements in tipster channels — where the audience is already interested in betting — turned out to be especially effective. Telegram allowed for quick reactions to matches and news moments, while SEO delivered a steadier stream of users over time.

HELL PARTNERS listed SEO, PPC, ASO, and tipsters among their top performance channels. On key match days, sports traffic volume could rise 30–50% compared to a normal period. Importantly, the company stressed that results came not from any single source but from their sequenced combination. Media campaigns and influencers built recognition and demand upfront, after which performance channels converted that interest into registrations, FTDs, and deposits.

1xCasino Partners describe a similar model. Facebook Ads and Telegram Ads delivered volume and allowed campaigns to scale quickly, SEO brought higher-quality long-term traffic, and ASO ensured a steady stream of mobile users. Each channel had its function, so relying on just one source limited results.

JetTon Partners saw the best results with Facebook + ASO bundles. Because the tournament window was short, the team tested creatives and GEOs in parallel to find working combinations faster. Facebook helped build a base of new players, while ASO tapped into organic demand from users searching for apps ahead of specific matches.

According to WILD WILD APPS data, the main share of traffic to football apps came from Facebook (59%), Unity (20%), and UAC (15%). The decisive factor, however, was not the source itself but pre-built bundles tailored to specific GEOs, local audience preferences, and the tournament calendar.

At Samurai Partners the most stable results came from combining SEO traffic from review sites with cross-brand activities. Cosmobet, as usual, highlighted SEO and noted strong Facebook performance.

Rocks Partners paint a more mixed picture. PPC delivered the fastest results but became increasingly expensive as playoffs approached. Facebook remained the main volume source: acquisition cost was comparatively low, though average quality and potential long-term player value declined. Email and SMS didn't scale much, but they worked better for retention and moving users into other verticals after the tournament.

DID Global viewed sources from a different angle. The bulk of volume came through DG Partners and direct site registrations, primarily from Latin America and Eastern Europe. On key match days, load on verification services and call centers rose by around 20–30%, especially in regions where users needed phone numbers for quick registration.

The market's overall conclusion is fairly clear: a major tournament can no longer be worked with a single channel. SEO delivers a compounding effect, paid traffic gives speed and scale, ASO taps mobile organic demand, Telegram and tipsters reach a warmed-up audience, and CRM, email, and SMS keep working long after the tournament noise has died down.

A headline event for some, a booster for others

How much the World Cup mattered depended on each partner's product.

For 22Bet Partners the tournament remained one of the most important events on the sports calendar. It fell during a pause in European leagues, sustained interest in betting, and gave partners a chance to scale their sports traffic.

For Rocks Partners it was also one of the key events of the year, but its value went far beyond user acquisition. The company treated the tournament as a stress test for the whole ecosystem: partner processes, technical infrastructure, and the team's ability to handle peak load. Over the course of several weeks, the market got a more objective picture of specific bundles' and internal processes' performance than a normal quarter could ever provide.

HELL PARTNERS used the World Cup to strengthen their sportsbook direction, test new sources and GEOs, and convert part of their casino audience into sports players. To expand coverage, sportsbook was added to the brand's casino projects as well. The tournament served not only as an acquisition period, but also as a reactivation tool for existing players.

JetTon Partners synchronized the launch of their betting offer with the World Cup. Ahead of the tournament, the company prepared freebets of up to 1,600 USD for new players, bet insurance, a prediction contest with a 30,000 USD prize pool, and a raffle of an apartment plus 25,000 USD among users betting on World Cup matches.

For WILD WILD APPS the tournament became a key seasonal window for launching new products. Together with Evoplay, the company expanded its pool of themed apps, creatives, and ready-made bundles so partners could hit the market at the moment of peak demand.

MelBet Partners used the global tournament to work with local affiliate communities. In Uzbekistan, MELBET Affiliate Cup Uzbekistan ran during this period. Its mechanic coincided with the national team's historic qualification for the World Cup and was complemented with prizes relevant to the local audience: a Ducati motorcycle, a Rolex watch, a trip to the Maldives, and an autographed Khusanov jersey. For the first time, the contest was run through a Telegram bot, which simplified entry and helped sustain engagement throughout the tournament.

For some companies, however, the World Cup wasn't the centerpiece. 1xCasino Partners didn't build their main strategy around it, since the product has no sports vertical. Focus stayed on existing partners and gambling traffic. Samurai Partners likewise didn't treat the tournament as pivotal, given the absence of a sportsbook product, though they noted a rise in user activity and greater willingness to engage with offers.

Cosmobet didn't single out the World Cup among other sports events. For the company, any opportunity to attract new audiences and offer additional activities to existing players matters.

For DID Global the tournament's main value was verifying infrastructure readiness. The platform was prepared in advance for load spikes of 30–40% on the most important match days.

So the World Cup turned out to matter not only for sportsbook brands. It affected mobile products, casino, registration services, affiliate programs, and CRM mechanics. Even companies without a sportsbook direction felt a lift in engagement and general audience excitement.

Audiences got faster, more mobile, and more demanding

The main change in user behavior, according to partners, is speed.

HELL PARTNERS noted that audiences engaged with content before matches more actively, compared odds, studied predictions, and made decisions on registration and first deposit faster. At the same time, the role of mobile traffic and short-form content grew: users wanted the offer, the odds, or the prediction almost instantly.

MelBet Partners also saw a sharp acceleration in how information was consumed. Interest could shift from one match to another literally within hours. Over the past four years, the influence of Reels, TikTok, Shorts, memes, and situational formats has grown noticeably. Some users preferred author-driven, emotional content over classic sports broadcasting because it felt more alive and natural.

WILD WILD APPS drew attention to the audience's sensitivity to timeliness. Users reacted more strongly to apps and creatives tied to specific matches and tournament moments. Simply having a football theme no longer guaranteed results: products had to be refreshed regularly.

Cosmobet and Samurai Partners saw similar dynamics. Cosmobet links the high activity to the audience's general desire for quick results. Samurai Partners saw users making decisions faster, depositing more often, and responding more actively to offers even inside products not directly tied to betting.

That said, the picture wasn't uniform. 22Bet Partners noted that overall activity was slightly lower than during the Champions League, top European leagues, and the previous World Cup. Time zones were one reason: some matches fell at inconvenient times for the core audience. Interest, however, stayed high during the playoffs and decisive fixtures.

DID Global also link the change to the tournament's geography. Because matches were held in the US, Canada, and Mexico, activity peaks shifted closer to American time zones. Mobile traffic share, by the team's internal estimates, grew by around 10–15% compared to previous major tournaments.

Rocks Partners saw more evenly distributed demand. Because of the expanded tournament format, the audience wasn't just following a handful of headline matches. Instead of short, extreme spikes, a longer period of stable interest formed. This required a different approach to budgets and scaling.

At the same time, live betting share grew. Users increasingly made decisions during the match itself, reacting to what was happening on the pitch. Phones stayed in hand throughout the game, so mobile interface speed, live-line quality, and communication responsiveness became critically important.

JetTon Partners also noticed differences between tournament stages. The bulk of bets came during the group stage, with more matches, markets, and opportunities for accumulators. Average check was lower but total volume was higher. In the playoffs, bet counts dropped but individual bets became larger and more targeted, and live betting share grew.

1xCasino Partners described the audience as more demanding about the product. Users compared brands more often, paying attention to bonuses, payout speed, and platform usability. Meanwhile, casino traffic in some GEOs became more expensive to buy and showed weaker performance.

The tournament confirmed that today's audience doesn't move along a pre-set path. It compares, switches quickly, reacts to context, and expects the brand to update its offer at the same speed the tournament itself changes.

The biggest loss — late preparation

The most common mistake partners named was starting too late.

22Bet Partners noted that many affiliates began actively buying sports traffic only right before the tournament opened. By that point the best placements were already taken and ad costs had risen. Those who tested channels in advance came into the World Cup with ready bundles and could scale faster.

HELL PARTNERS made a similar observation. Some partners didn't manage to prepare user bases and dedicated World Cup landing pages in advance. Many also focused only on major matches, popular teams, and obvious search queries, even though less prominent games, local teams, and long-tail queries offered lower competition.

WILD WILD APPS emphasized that testing new bundles during the busiest tournament stages ate up time that should have been used for scaling. Another mistake was applying generic creatives without adapting to specific GEOs and local football preferences.

MelBet Partners also believe the market underestimated the preparation period. Partners who built SEO content, gathered an audience, and tested funnels in advance had an edge from the very first matches. Many also failed to tap the potential of national teams and local news hooks — often exactly what delivered the strongest engagement.

At Samurai Partners the view is that the biggest opportunities were lost by teams that joined the tournament too late and didn't have time to test bundles, infrastructure, and readiness to scale volume.

For Rocks Partners the first week turned out to be especially important. Early in the tournament, acquisition costs remained comparatively low, but many affiliates spent this period testing creatives and hunting for working funnels. By the time campaigns hit optimal performance, competition had already grown.

But a late start wasn't the only loss.

Rocks Partners point out that many thought only about traffic during the tournament and barely planned further monetization of the audience. Partners who chose only high CPA got a quick payout but lost part of the players' long-term value. Those working on hybrid models kept earning after the final whistle through repeat deposits and continued user activity.

HELL PARTNERS also believe the market didn't make enough use of reactivation and cross-selling casino audiences into sportsbook. The World Cup was seen primarily as an acquisition event, though working with the existing base could have delivered equally significant results.

JetTon Partners pointed to another problem — cookie-cutter creatives. Even though the brand regularly published ready materials for promos, some affiliates kept pulling ads from spy tools. The same creatives ran across dozens of teams simultaneously, and the audience quickly stopped reacting. More stable results came from partners who adapted materials to their own source or created their own variations.

DID Global assessed losses between headline matches. Many partners bet on the opening, quarterfinals, and final, ignoring the periods between them. By the company's estimate, the market could have lost up to 15–20% of potential traffic in those windows.

22Bet Partners and HELL PARTNERS also advise against limiting yourself to the final and top fixtures. The group stage, less popular matches, and local teams let you work in less overheated auctions and attract audiences more cheaply.

JetTon Partners recommend tapping the extra potential of familiar betting GEOs. If a country you already work with is competing in the World Cup, audience interest in its national team's matches can noticeably lift traffic performance and conversion.

1xCasino Partners, on the other hand, see over-concentration on football itself as a mistake. Other sports events took place during the World Cup and could attract audiences with different interests and lower competition.

Cosmobet see the missed opportunity in insufficient openness to new brands and approaches. Because of formalities or lack of attention, affiliates could have overlooked new products capable of delivering high engagement.

The overall problem wasn't a lack of traffic. The market lost opportunities where it acted too obviously: went in late, competed for the same matches, used the same creatives, and thought only about the first registration.

What to change before the next tournament

The core advice from every participant in the study is to start earlier. But early preparation shouldn't come down to producing a few football banners.

Rocks Partners recommend starting with the choice of advertiser and commercial model. Higher CPAs, hybrid terms, exclusive bonuses, and special promotions need to be agreed before the tournament starts. Core creatives, landing pages, and funnels should also be validated on smaller events. During the tournament itself, the team should be optimizing campaigns that already work, not figuring out what converts at all.

The company also suggests allocating budget in advance and keeping around 20–30% as reserve. An unexpected result, a viral news hook, or a sudden spike in interest in a specific national team can open a window for quick scaling — one only teams with free resource can seize.

22Bet Partners suggest testing sports traffic several months in advance, not limiting yourself to top matches, personalizing campaigns for national teams, GEOs, and different player types, and being active in live. Special attention should go to retention: the main revenue goes not to those who simply brought a user during the World Cup, but to those who managed to keep them and carry that interest into the next sports events.

HELL PARTNERS recommend building a combination of SEO, PPC, tipsters, ASO, social/community traffic, and CRM in advance. Campaigns must take into account the specific GEO's interests, local teams, bet types, and real metrics that only emerge as the tournament unfolds. What works at the start doesn't necessarily keep working in the playoffs.

WILD WILD APPS propose preparing the product lineup, localized apps, designs, and ready-made bundles in advance. During peak demand the team should be scaling and refreshing materials, not doing basic product prep.

MelBet Partners also advise combining long-term preparation with operational reactivity. Local prizes, national sports heroes, familiar communication channels, and GEO-specific mechanics help turn a global news hook into an event that feels close to the local audience.

JetTon Partners recommend studying participating countries' markets in advance. Engagement around a national team creates a warm audience that decides on a deposit faster. This approach can be more effective than fighting for traditional and overheated betting GEOs.

Samurai Partners emphasize technical readiness. Before traffic ramps up, you need to verify funnels, infrastructure, and playbooks for outages, sharp metric shifts, or other emergencies.

DID Global also recommend building in at least 30% additional capacity above your standard baseline. During major events, the load spike hits not only ad accounts but also registration, verification, support, payments, and other services that directly affect conversion.

1xCasino Partners advise preparing more creative variants so you can quickly swap out anything that stops working. For organic traffic, single-page sites with specific-match naming and low-competition keywords can help. At the same time, don't forget other sports and audiences that stay outside the football agenda.

Cosmobet frame their recommendation more broadly: stay open to change, to new brands, and to non-standard opportunities. In high-competition periods, an edge often comes not from raising the budget but from a solution the other teams haven't tested yet.

After the tournament, what stays isn't traffic — it's a system

The FIFA 2026 World Cup showed once again that the sheer scale of a sports event doesn't guarantee results. Many got traffic, but the most value was extracted by those who had prepared their products, content, infrastructure, and downstream user-work model in advance.

The next major tournament won't start for the affiliate market at the first match. It will start the moment teams pick their GEOs, test their funnels, agree on terms, and decide what happens with the audience they've acquired once the final whistle blows.