With more than five million FIFA World Cup tickets sold across 11 US cities for this summer, short-term home rental platforms are sitting on a real opportunity — but only if they can move homeowners from aware to enrolled. How are they bridging that gap? Radio.
A new Katz Radio Group case study measured how a radio campaign for an unnamed travel marketplace moved homeowners through the funnel in a single host market. Katz projects the tournament will draw 1.24 million international visitors and generate $6.4 billion in US tourist spending, with short-term rental demand for platforms like AirBnb and Vrbo already accelerating in markets like Kansas City.
The custom online survey, conducted among 500 homeowners age 25 and older in early May 2026, found the advertiser entered with a strong baseline: more than 88% of respondents were already familiar with the brand, 81% were aware the tournament would be hosted across North America, 87% anticipated increased local demand for short-term lodging, and 79% agreed that hosting during a major event is a good way to earn extra income.
Once the homeowners understood the opportunity, radio gave them a reason to act on it.
After ad exposure, 54% said they were likely to consider hosting during the World Cup. 58% said they’d take steps to learn more, 44% would visit the advertiser’s hosting page, and 26% expressed interest in calculating their potential earnings.
The World Cup case study fits a broader pattern in radio’s track record with travel advertisers. A Convention & Visitors Bureau campaign tracked by Katz Analytics across three feeder markets produced a 15.6% lift in website traffic attributable directly to radio, generating nearly 17,900 incremental website visits over the full flight, averaging nearly five website visits per radio spot.
Hotel advertisers have seen similar results: a flagship hotel chain running spots during Westwood One Summer Olympic Updates watched familiarity nearly double from 35% to 63% among exposed listeners, with favorability and consideration each jumping 15 points.
Katz’s listener research found domestic travel is a standout category among affluent radio listeners, with All-News, Classical, and Sports format audiences significantly over-indexing in travel spending. For travel marketplaces trying to build homeowner supply before the tournament kicks off June 11, the data positions radio not as a brand play, but as the activation layer that converts willingness into hosting pipeline.
The full case study is available at the Katz Radio Group Insights Hub.
