From paid remotes to promotional stunts, radio has always been in the live events business. Now, new data suggests the $139 billion global experiential marketing industry, growing at its fastest clip in years, is a gold mine for stations that know how to sell it.
PQ Media’s 11th biennial Global B2C & B2B Experiential Marketing Forecast 2026-2030 finds global experiential marketing grew 8.3% to $138.94 billion in 2025, with US spending reaching $64.43 billion and on pace to grow 11.8% in 2026. Live consumer event marketing was the fastest-growing segment, up 11.1% in the US, with sports and entertainment events commanding a 40.5% share of that channel.
The report projects US experiential marketing growing 11.8% this year, driven explicitly by the US’s co-hosting of the FIFA World Cup with Canada and Mexico, participation in the Winter Olympics, and the mid-term election cycle with its congressional redistricting battles and political rally spending.
The World Cup, which is top of mind as the tournament begins, specifically provides plenty of opportunity for radio.
Radio stations in host markets have a natural activation platform in local presence that plugs directly into the fastest-growing segment of the US advertising market. Savvy operators in outside markets are tapping into watch parties as a way to bring the World Cup excitement to Main Street.
Even without a global happening, the audience data makes the case for selling events hard.
Audacy found that 40% of live event attendees discover new brands at events, while 58% report feeling a deeper emotional connection to event sponsors. Among Gen Z and Millennial audiences, brand recall and conversion are especially strong, with 48% and 61%, respectively, saying they’ve purchased a brand they encountered at a live event. Eventbrite data show that despite inflation, nearly a quarter of adults aged 21 to 35 consider live event spending a high priority, with another 51% calling it a moderate priority.
