The hot-hot-hot final of the UEFA Champions League is coming up. Are you ready for the traffic? Have you got a campaign plan to capitalize on it?

Write down the date: Saturday, May 31, 2025. That’s when Paris Saint-Germain will face Inter Milan at Munich’s Allianz Arena. We’re talking about around 400 million people worldwide who will be watching, so it’s a massive opportunity for advertisers to run high-converting campaigns with performance spikes across key verticals. This is literally rush hour for buying amazing traffic.

At AdMaven, we’ve helped advertisers scale campaigns during events like the World Cup, the Africa Cup of Nations, and countless regional tournaments. The numbers speak for themselves: during the 2022 World Cup, direct traffic surged by an average of 70 percent, and mobile traffic from countries like Nigeria and Egypt doubled within hours of the big matches.

If you're looking to make the most of this year's UEFA Final and other sporting events, read our pro tips on how to choose the right ad formats, GEO targeting, timing strategies, and more.

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Why Sporting Events Are So Good for Campaigns?

When a major match is coming up, online behavior changes dramatically. Users aren’t just looking for the match, they are riled up and ready to buy. Audiences are more engaged, more impulsive, and overwhelmingly mobile-first. Many are on the hunt for one thing: a link to watch the game, and they are searching for it anywhere they can: Google, Reddit, Telegram, or other sources.

For advertisers, this is a traffic-fest. Here’s why:

• There’s a sharp spike in short-term, high-quality traffic centered around the match window
• A drop in bot activity and a surge in authentic, high-intent human traffic, especially during the hours just before and after kickoff
• An emotional, reactive audience (sports fans are like that…) that responds better to ads, delivering higher CTR and conversion rates.
  
  

However, none of this matters if you’re late to the game. Timing and planning are everything.

Start Early and Score

Across hundreds of campaigns, we’ve seen the same pattern: advertisers who launch three to five days before a major match always get better results than those who start on the day itself.

Launching early lets ad networks and traffic platforms fine-tune campaign delivery. Algorithms need time to learn which user segments are most responsive to your offer. Early campaigns also run with less competition, so CPMs stay low and you can test different creatives, flows, and landers without burning through your budget.

By the time match day arrives, you’ll have optimized campaigns ready to scale. The advertisers who wait usually end up paying more per click for less engaged traffic. The takeaway is simple: start early to win big.

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‍Recommended Ad Formats to Use During Sports Events

The best ad formats during live sports events are the ones that meet users exactly where they are: on mobile, acting fast, emotionally invested, and actively looking for something. They might be looking for a stream, a betting line or real-time updates. Other than understanding the user’s state of mind, matching the ad format to the goal you want to achieve is also important. Here’s how to do that:

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Popunder ads are great for real-time, event-driven campaigns. These ads offer high visibility without requiring a click, because they open in a separate tab. If you want to drive traffic to landing pages, lead forms, or app installation funnels, popunders perform especially well during the moments of highest attention like halftime or right after a key goal. When the match tension goes through the roof, users are more likely to engage.

Push notifications are a good tool for retargeting and extending the campaign window beyond the live event. That’s right - the time for good traffic isn’t just during the match itself. If a user subscribed to push alerts before or during the match, you can reach them later with tailored offers. For example, advertisers promoting apps, offers, or contests can re-engage users with post-match CTAs: “Missed the highlights? Watch now and win,” or “The game might be over, but your bonus is still here.” These messages convert well when sent when users are back in browsing mode.

Content lockers are great for sporting events monetization because the users are searching for exclusive content, so it’s a good time to “catch” them. For example, fans looking for a free stream will often engage with locked content if they believe the value is real. Give them access to what they’re looking for - and they will engage. This urgency works in your favor: users want the content immediately, and the conversion rate rises significantly when the locked content aligns with their intent. It’s perfect for when you are focused on CPA or app install campaigns, especially in GEOs with high mobile engagement.

Smart GEO Targeting

Volume without conversions is meaningless. Don’t limit yourself to the playing countries.

Inter Milan and PSG have massive fan bases - not just in Italy and France, but also in Germany (the host nation), Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, and large parts of Francophone Africa. These GEOs have historically shown high engagement and conversion rates during UEFA campaigns - very high quality traffic.

In 2024, Brazil, Turkey, and Indonesia performed exceptionally well in mobile sports traffic, often outpacing larger Western markets in CTR and engagement. During the same time, Berlin traffic spiked - because they hosted the match.

Also, remember that language matters. Creatives in Arabic, Turkish, Portuguese and so on, can produce much better results. And it’s not just about national teams. If a club has a huge fan following in a certain region, targeting that region can pay off, even if the country isn’t directly involved in the match.

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Real-Time Optimization

When you're looking to make the most of traffic spikes around big sports events, it's not really a "set it and forget it" kind of deal with your ads. Real-time optimization is the difference between a good campaign and a great one, so you'll want to be pretty hands-on. You should be adapting your campaign in real time, or you're basically leaving money on the table.

Use analytics tools like Voluum or Binom to monitor CTR, EPC, and bounce rates continuously. Make adjustments based on data, not assumptions.

Make changes as often as every hour. If one creative drops in performance, switch it. If a landing page stops converting in one GEO, test another. Adjust bids, replace headlines, rotate ad placements - do whatever it takes and keep your eyes on the data all the time.

Run A/B tests in parallel during the event. Compare landing page versions, message tone, or CTAs to identify what’s performing better in the live context.

Prepare multiple versions of your campaign before the event starts. The last thing you want is to start building new creatives in the middle of peak traffic. Have backups and variations ready, so you can switch fast without losing momentum.

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‍Pro Tips from the AdMaven Team

If you're planning to advertise around the UEFA Final or other high-traffic sports events, here’s what our performance experts recommend:

• Start your campaigns 3–5 days before kickoff. We can’t stress this enough. Don’t wait until the day of the match to go live. When you launch early, ad networks have time to optimize delivery and learn which user segments are converting. The algorithm has breathing room to calibrate, and you can test creatives and landing pages before the CPMs spike.
  
  
• Target countries by fandom: Don’t limit your GEO targeting to just the countries playing in the final. Focus on regions where the clubs have strong fan bases. For example, PSG has a massive following in North Africa and the Middle East. Inter Milan drives high engagement in Turkey, Egypt and the Balkans. These areas often show better CTRs and EPCs than countries officially involved in the match.
  
  
• Pay attention to the traffic during the match itself: One of the best opportunities to convert is during the few hours before and after the match. Traffic surges, bot activity drops, and real people are actively searching for streams, betting offers and results. These moments are ideal for high-intent formats like Content Lockers or landing pages tied to real-time match events.
  
  
• Don’t guess - use data: You need to look into what’s working, and you can’t rely on intuition. Choose ad platforms that let you break down traffic by device, GEO, browser, and referrer in real time. This lets you respond instantly to shifts in performance, rather than relying on end-of-day reporting.
  
  
• Personalize your creatives: Audiences watching the same match can have very different intents. A user looking for a betting slip should see a different message than someone looking for a live stream.
  
  
• Use social media elements like polls, predictions, or flash bonuses tied to the match. These tactics can increase time spent on the page, improve CTR, and even create viral sharing. Everyone wants to win.

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Upcoming Major Sporting Events (May–June 2025)

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We’re here to help. Here are some of the important sporting events that are scheduled during the next few weeks. Mark them down and prepare your campaigns.

• May 21 – UEFA Europa League Final: Tottenham Hotspur will face Manchester United at San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao, Spain. This final is expected to draw substantial global attention, especially from UK and European audiences. 
• May 23–25 – Monaco Grand Prix: The prestigious Formula 1 race will take place on the streets of Monte Carlo. The event attracts viewers from all over the world, so there are many monetization opportunities for publishers targeting motorsport enthusiasts.
• May 25 – Indianapolis 500: Mainly for American crowds.
• May 25 – Start of the French Open: The Grand Slam tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris begins. The event spans two weeks, providing extended opportunities for content related to match schedules, player performances, and highlights.
• May 28 – UEFA Europa Conference League Final: Scheduled in Wrocław, Poland, this final will determine the champion of Europe's tertiary club football competition.
• May 31 – UEFA Champions League Final: Paris Saint-Germain will compete against Inter Milan at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany. 
• June 3 – Indian Premier League (IPL) Final: The culmination of the IPL cricket season will be held in Kolkata, India. Given cricket's popularity in the region, this event is expected to generate significant online traffic, especially from South Asian audiences.
• June 14 – Start of the FIFA Club World Cup: Hosted in the USA, this tournament will feature top football clubs from around the world, including the UEFA Champions League winner. The event will run until July 13, offering prolonged engagement opportunities. 

Beyond the Final: Thinking Long-Term

The Champions League Final is just the beginning. It's like a warm-up for a whole season of opportunities. There's Copa América, Euro Qualifiers, national leagues, even the Olympics - tons of sporting events. Sports content is a goldmine, and you want to dig into it. Smart advertisers make their opportunities, they don't just wait for them. Test early, strategize like a pro, and optimize constantly. This final is a great "stress test". Nail it, and you're set for the long game.

If you’d like support setting up your campaigns, optimizing funnels, or identifying new ways to boost ROI, AdMaven’s advertiser team is ready to help.

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