2026 FIFA World Cup Expected to Boost DraftKings as Major Betting Event
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jun 11 2026
0mins
Source: CNBC
- Market Beneficiary: The 2026 FIFA World Cup is anticipated to be the largest betting event ever, with analysts identifying DraftKings as the clearest beneficiary due to its multi-year partnership with NBCUniversal and Telemundo's exclusive Spanish-language rights, which funnel high-intent soccer bettors to its Spanish-language app.
- Prediction Market Growth: DraftKings reported $1.3 billion in annualized consumer volume for its prediction markets in May, a 24% increase from April, which, while still small compared to competitors like Kalshi and Polymarket, enhances its competitiveness and alleviates pressure on its sportsbook business.
- Customer Acquisition Potential: The company stated that the World Cup, combined with its unified platform strategy that offers sportsbook and sports predictions based on location and includes a Spanish-language feature, is expected to significantly drive new customer acquisition and strong engagement among existing users.
- Market Trial Opportunity: Oppenheimer analysts believe DraftKings' push into prediction markets via the World Cup will serve as a trial run to prepare for a surge in volume during the NFL season, suggesting the company can leverage its product and customer acquisition costs to develop leading sports prediction markets.
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Analyst Views on DKNG
Wall Street analysts forecast DKNG stock price to rise
29 Analyst Rating
23 Buy
6 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 26.320
Low
30.00
Averages
42.69
High
53.00
Current: 26.320
Low
30.00
Averages
42.69
High
53.00
About DKNG
DraftKings Inc. is a digital sports entertainment and gaming company. It provides users with online and retail sports betting (together, Sportsbook), online casino (iGaming) and daily fantasy sports product offerings, as well as digital lottery courier, media, and other product offerings. Sportsbook is live with mobile and/or retail sports betting operations pursuant to regulations in 28 states, Washington, D.C., and in Ontario, Canada. It operates iGaming pursuant to regulations in five states and in Ontario, Canada under its DraftKings brand and pursuant to regulations in four states under its Golden Nugget Online Gaming brand. It owns Jackpocket, a digital lottery courier app in the United States. It is both an official daily fantasy and sports betting partner of the NFL, NHL, PGA TOUR, WNBA and UFC, as well as an official daily fantasy partner of NASCAR, an official sports betting partner of the NBA. It also owns and operates DraftKings Network, a multi-platform content ecosystem.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Strong Financial Backing: Novig raised $75 million in a Series B funding round in February, achieving a valuation of $500 million and bringing total capital raised to over $105 million, providing robust financial support in a competitive landscape.
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- Event Scale and Economic Impact: The 2026 World Cup, hosted in North America, is expected to attract over 6.5 million fans, generating approximately $14 billion in event-related spending and contributing $17.2 billion to the U.S. GDP, highlighting its significant economic impact.
- Investment Return Potential: Historical data indicates that host-country equities have delivered median returns of about 10% during World Cup years, driven by increased tourism spending and consumer sentiment, making related stocks attractive for investors.
- Surge in Advertising Spending: Digital advertising is projected to be a major beneficiary, with an estimated $5 billion increase in global advertising spending, 73% of which is expected to flow through digital channels, showcasing the World Cup's strong influence on the advertising market.
- Recommended Investment Basket: JPMorgan advises investors to consider the 2026 World Cup Beneficiaries Basket, which includes companies like Alphabet, Booking Holdings, and Coca-Cola, anticipating strong performance during the tournament.
See More
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- World Cup Marketing Strategy: Wells Fargo expects DraftKings (DKNG) and Flutter Entertainment (FLUT) to ramp up their marketing efforts during and after the World Cup, aiming to attract new customers and enhance the visibility of their prediction market platforms during this massive 39-day global sports event.
- Earnings Forecast Downgrade: Due to increased sales and marketing costs in Q2, Wells Fargo has lowered EBITDA estimates for DraftKings and Flutter Entertainment to near the lowest levels on Wall Street, reflecting concerns about their profitability amidst rising expenses.
- Super App Concept: DraftKings is explicitly moving towards a single super app across all 50 states that integrates sports betting and prediction markets, while Flutter Entertainment operates its prediction markets as a largely separate app with selective links to its core sportsbook, indicating differing strategic approaches.
- Intensifying Market Competition: As DraftKings and Flutter Entertainment compete aggressively during the World Cup, market attention on their future performance increases, particularly in the context of the growing convergence of sports betting and prediction markets, which may impact their long-term strategic positioning.
See More
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- Stock Price Increase: FLUT shares rose 1.2% in premarket trading on Friday, reflecting market optimism about the company's future, particularly with the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup expected to drive user growth.
- Delisting from London: Flutter announced it will cease trading on the London Stock Exchange on July 31, shifting focus to the New York market, a strategic move aimed at enhancing its competitiveness globally, especially against rivals like DraftKings.
- Financial Performance: Despite a 17% year-over-year revenue increase to $4.3 billion in Q1, FLUT's net income fell from $283 million to $218 million, indicating the impact of a declining user base, with average monthly players down 3% to 14.4 million.
- CEO Transition: The company announced the departure of CEO Amy Howe, with FanDuel President Christian Gentski stepping in, as the new leadership is expected to drive market performance during the upcoming World Cup, leveraging competitive advantages to attract new customers.
See More
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- SpaceX IPO Update: SpaceX is set to go public on Friday with an expected valuation of around $1.8 trillion, but the allocation for retail investors is lower than anticipated at around 20%, which may affect market reception and investor confidence.
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See More
