Stake releases hot air balloon football match stunt at 10,000ft

Stake published a new campaign video on June 23 showing a small-sided football match played on a pitch suspended from a hot air balloon at 10,000ft.

The video features six extreme sports content creators—Nathan Roque, Alessio Papia, Nicolo Contrada, Yasmin Xavier, Sara Vidal, and Carol Chafauzer—playing on a 12m x 20m synthetic grass platform. Stake said the 3,000kg pitch was carried by balloon during a 60-minute flight, with participants later jumping from the platform using parachutes.

The activation sits within Stake’s “It’s All At Stake” brand platform, which the company launched ahead of this summer’s global football tournament. According to Stake, the campaign is being promoted across YouTube, Instagram and X.

Jarrod Febbraio, Director at Stake, said: “This summer sees one of the biggest cultural moments on the planet and simply showing up is no longer enough. Our ambition is to create campaigns that genuinely capture people’s attention, spark conversation and give fans something they haven’t seen before.

“At Stake, we are always looking for ways to push creative boundaries and challenge expectations around sports marketing. Whether it’s our It’s All At Stake campaign or staging a football match thousands of feet in the air, the objective is the same – creating entertainment that resonates with audiences and delivers memorable experiences around the moments they care most about.”

Stake also said the “It’s All At Stake” campaign has generated more than 200 million views across earned and social channels in the first week of the tournament.