putting water polo in the spotlight
A coordinated media and content program designed to raise the profile of the sport and maximise the impact of its premier international event.
Project: 2026 water polo world cup finals
Clients: water polo australia
OVERVIEW
BTB partnered with Water Polo Australia to deliver full-service PR, media, content, marketing and broadcast operations for the 2026 World Aquatics Water Polo World Cup Finals in Sydney – Australia’s first home World Cup Finals. BTB led the campaign end to end, from pre-event storytelling through to live broadcast delivery, turning a five-day event into a lasting audience and media legacy for the sport.
WHAT WE WERE ENGAGED TO DELIVER
- PR & media operations for 80+ domestic and international media, daily releases and flash quotes, press centre and mixed zone delivery
- Always-on social strategy: Content production, athlete storytelling, EDM program, and a dedicated event hub on WPA’s website
- Community & multicultural outreach: tailored media releases to 30+ CALD outlets across six countries, accreditation invites and ticket discount code.
OUTCOMES
- 50% of the organisation’s target for ticket sales, sold within the first 24 hours as part of the pre-sale campaign
- Media exposure generating a value in excess of $5 million during event time alone
- Record social media reach for Water Polo Australia of 15.74 million across the campaign, including 97.4% of YouTube viewers new to Water Polo Australia content
- Effective collaboration with key stakeholders and partners that extended the campaign well beyond WPA’s owned channels, with AOC collaborations alone contributing to 3.82M views and 103K interactions
- Seamless sports presentation and broadcast integration across 5 days of competition.


