Mumbai: The world's biggest sporting event, the FIFA World Cup has kicked off with unusually little marketing noise in India, with brands still sitting on the sidelines due to weak commercial visibility, poor match timings and late broadcast rights closure.Marketing activation spends around this year's tournament could decline 50-60% from previous editions as advertisers pull back despite India's estimated 300-million-strong football audience, industry executives said.Also Read: Zee puts FIFA World Cup behind paywall to grow subscriber base"This has turned out to be one of the most muted FIFA World Cups in many years from a marketing standpoint," said Indranil Das Blah, founder of sports marketing agency AMP Sports & Entertainment.Marketing heads at two FMCG companies said they explored advertising during the FIFA World Cup but eventually opted out, citing concerns that returns would not justify the spending sought by the broadcaster."We decided against the deal as match timings would significantly limit live viewership," one of them said, requesting anonymity.The other said football world cup is a premium rather than a mass-market property in India, making it a more relevant platform for premium products than broad-based consumer brands.They said Zee Entertainment, which secured the broadcasting and streaming rights for the FIFA World Cup only on June 1, was seeking sponsorship packages of up to ₹18 crore, the executives said.The world cup, which got underway at 12.30 am Indian Standard Time in Mexico City on Friday, is held across the US, Canada and Mexico, with most matches being played in late night or early morning India time.Besides the unfavourable timings, delayed broadcast deal and prolonged tournament schedule following the expansion from 64 to 104 matches, executives also cited rising caution on discretionary spending amid heightened geopolitical uncertainty for the muted response from advertisers.Earlier FIFA World Cups saw heavy brand activations across television, digital and on-ground platforms. According to TAM Sports data, 23 categories, 28 advertisers and 38 brands participated in the FIFA World Cup 2022. This year, Zee Entertainment has signed 12 advertisers, including Mahindra, Diageo, Apple, Pernod Ricard and Mondelez.Unlike the 2022 edition, which was streamed free on JioCinema, now part of JioHotstar, this year's tournament sits behind a paywall on Zee, potentially limiting casual viewership and dampening advertiser interest. Zee5, the streaming partner, has rolled out FIFA+ and other content-specific packages at Rs 799 for three months and Rs 1,699 annually.Also Read: Odd timing of FIFA matches may keep bars, restaurants from joining partyWhile football strongholds such as Kerala and West Bengal continue to witness fan-led enthusiasm, the broader commercial momentum remains subdued, with marketers prioritising cricket properties.Can Dhoni Swing Momentum?Zee Entertainment has roped in cricket icon MS Dhoni to widen the tournament's appeal beyond core football followers through promotions, according to people aware of the company's plans.Brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance India managing director Ajimon Francis said the momentum may build during the knockout stages starting on June 28. He, though, added that the marketing activity so far has remained noticeably quieter than in previous editions.The expanded 104-match format has stretched the world cup calendar to 39 days compared to 29 days in 2022. Some industry executives said FIFA had failed to fully capitalise on India's sizeable football fan base by delaying the broadcast deal."FIFA has missed the India opportunity this time. The broadcaster was finalised barely 10 days before the event, leaving little room to build momentum," marketing expert Harish Bijoor said.