Broadcasting and Promotion
The World Cup was first televised in 1954. It is now the most widely watched sporting event in the world, exceeding even the olympics. The World Cup attracts many sponsors such as Adidas, Coca-Cola, and McDonalds. The final match in 2006 attracted an estimated 715.1 million people which is one-nineth of the worlds population. Host countries usually experience a multi-million dollar revenue increase from this month long event. Since 1966 each World Cup has had a mascot or logo. Recent World Cups have had official match balls designed for each tournament. These balls are sometimes used in official FIFA matches between national teams leading up to the World Cup.