Advertisers gain new control over Walmart search ads with negative keyword exclusions. FIFA's hydration breaks remain a lucrative ad slot, despite ongoing debate. Both moves reshape how brands manage spend and visibility.
Walmart is giving advertisers a long-requested tool: negative keyword exclusions for search ads. This update, reported by Digiday, is set to change how both small merchants and large brands manage their ad budgets and campaign efficiency on Walmart’s retail media platform. By allowing advertisers to specify which search terms should not trigger their ads, Walmart is addressing a key pain point for those who want to avoid wasted spend on irrelevant or low-performing queries.
For smaller sellers, this means more precise targeting and less budget lost to searches that rarely convert. Larger companies, especially those with multiple brands, can now prevent their campaigns from competing against each other on the same branded terms. Many advertisers have long been frustrated by being forced to bid on their own brand names, a practice that research suggests may not always be necessary since organic results often capture those sales anyway.
Negative keyword controls also help brands avoid unwanted associations. For example, companies offering kosher or vegan products can ensure their ads do not appear alongside incompatible search terms, such as “ham.” This level of control is especially important as AI-driven ad platforms sometimes prioritize performance over brand alignment, leading to awkward placements. Google’s Performance Max added similar exclusions in 2023 after advertisers raised concerns about wasted spend and questionable attribution.
Meanwhile, FIFA’s introduction of hydration breaks during the World Cup has sparked debate among fans and advertisers alike. While officially implemented as a player safety measure, these breaks have created new commercial slots within live broadcasts. According to an executive at agency Globant, advertisers saw a significant difference in audience retention: viewership dropped by about 20% during halftime, but only 1% of viewers changed the channel during the three-minute hydration breaks. This makes the new ad slots highly attractive for brands seeking to maintain audience attention.
As FIFA and its broadcast partners negotiate future streaming and broadcast rights, the revenue potential of hydration breaks is becoming a key factor. Adam Schwartz, SVP at Horizon Media, noted that networks and tech companies are now factoring these monetization opportunities into their bids. The ability to generate additional revenue from short, high-retention ad breaks is likely to influence how future tournaments are structured and sold.
These developments reflect a broader shift in how platforms and rights holders balance user experience, advertiser needs, and revenue models. For more on how sports and digital platforms are shaping ad strategies, see this analysis of sports inventory and digital ad deals in the current market.
Walmart, the world’s largest retailer by revenue, has rapidly expanded its retail media business in recent years. According to company filings, Walmart Connect generated over $3 billion in ad revenue in 2025, making it a major player in the US retail media landscape. The addition of negative keyword exclusions is part of Walmart’s ongoing effort to attract more advertisers and compete with established digital ad platforms.
