bet365 has signed a bookmaker partnership with talkSPORT ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, strengthening its visibility across one of the UK’s largest sports radio and digital football platforms.
talkSPORT is a national sports broadcaster with a large football audience across radio, streaming, podcasts, digital content and social media. The partnership will give bet365 exposure across the broadcaster’s World Cup programming, including preview content, live match coverage, dedicated shows, digital features, social channels and on-air promotions.
The 2026 World Cup, staged across the US, Canada and Mexico, is expected to be the largest edition of the tournament, with 48 teams and 104 matches. For betting operators, the event is likely to become one of the most competitive customer acquisition periods in the global sports calendar.
bet365 and talkSPORT launched the partnership through the inaugural talkSPORT Padel World Cup, held at Padium in London’s Canary Wharf on June 2. The event featured talkSPORT presenters, former Premier League players and other invited personalities, generating more than 2.2m views across social media platforms.
Alex Sefton, global chief marketing officer at bet365, said the operator was looking forward to working with talkSPORT during the tournament.
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with talkSPORT across what we’re hoping will be an incredible summer of football,” Sefton said. “talkSPORT has an unmatched ability to engage passionate football audiences across multiple platforms, and we look forward to working together throughout the tournament to deliver compelling content and experiences for fans.”
Liam Fisher, head of talkSPORT, said the broadcaster would be a destination for live commentary and football opinion throughout the tournament.
The agreement comes as bet365 continues to invest in brand visibility across major regulated markets. In Spain, the company said its app was the most downloaded online sports betting app between September 2025 and February 2026, while YouGov data cited by the operator showed brand recognition among 47 percent of Spanish users.
For bet365, the talkSPORT agreement reflects the importance of trusted sports media environments as operators compete for World Cup attention. For the wider betting sector, it also highlights how major tournaments are increasingly fought across content, broadcast partnerships and digital engagement, not only through traditional advertising.
