VZFree tickets, big flex
Verizon says it’s dropping more than 2,500 free tickets across 64 FIFA World Cup 2026 matches in every U.S. host city — but there’s a catch, because of course there is: you have to be a Verizon customer to get in on it.
Why investors should care
This isn’t moving the needle like an earnings beat or a billion-dollar buyback, but it is a reminder that Verizon is still playing the long game on customer retention. Perks like this can help keep subscribers from wandering off to a competitor over a $5 discount or a shiny new phone deal.
The marketing playbook, stadium edition
Wireless carriers love these big-splash promotions because they do two jobs at once:
- make current customers feel like they’ve got VIP access
- make the brand look bigger than just “the bill that shows up every month”
And with the World Cup headed to the U.S., this is the kind of promo that gets attention without Verizon having to slash prices across the board.
Big picture
No, free soccer tickets won’t magically change Verizon’s fundamentals. But in a crowded wireless market, even a little FOMO can help keep customers sticky — and sticky customers are the closest thing telecom gets to a love story.