The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition that the 2026 FIFA World Cup boosted Bell Media revenues for BCE, though the parent company reported a lower overall profit for the quarter compared with last year. A Canadian Press dispatch to The Globe reports that strong advertiser demand during the soccer tournament boosted Bell Media's ad revenue by 5.3 per cent year-over-year in the second quarter. Bell Media's operating revenue was up 8.9 per cent to $918-million in the quarter, as subscriber revenue increased 6.7 per cent. Total subscriptions for streaming platform Crave reached nearly 5.1 million, or 23 per cent higher than last year. Total digital revenues grew 5.8 per cent year-over-year, with higher digital video ad revenue from increased adoption of ad-supported subscription tiers on Crave. BCE said softness in traditional advertising demand, a decline in audio ad revenue after selling 45 radio stations in 2025, and the absence of last year's federal election ad revenues. In the quarter, BCE's profit attributable to common shareholders totalled $558-million or 60 cents a diluted share for the quarter ended June 30. That was down from $579-million or 63 cents a diluted share for the second quarter of 2025.