Consumer electronics and home appliance leader sponsors sensory inclusion initiative across all 16 host cities, helping fans with sensory sensitivities experience football’s biggest stage

QINGDAO, China – Hisense, a leading global home appliance and consumer electronics company, today announced a groundbreaking partnership with FIFA and KultureCity to support the first-ever Sensory Inclusive tournament at the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Through this initiative, all 16 host stadiums across the United States, Canada, and Mexico will feature dedicated sensory rooms equipped with Hisense display technology. Designed for fans who experience sensory overload—including individuals with autism, PTSD, dementia, anxiety, and other conditions—these spaces will provide calming, supportive environments within the high-energy setting of match day.

Expanding Access to the Beautiful Game

Research indicates that an estimated 5% to 16.5% of people experience sensory processing challenges. For these fans, the intensity of live sporting events—the high energy of the crowd, sudden cheers, and ongoing movement—can make attending feel overwhelming or inaccessible. This initiative looks to change that, ensuring that more fans can experience the beautiful game in person.

“At Hisense, we believe every innovation should enrich every life,” said Catherine Fang, Vice President of Hisense Group. “This partnership reflects our commitment to ‘Innovating a Brighter Life.’ True innovation means turning technology into access—and ensuring no one is left on the sidelines.”

Sensory-Inclusive Infrastructure Across All 16 Stadiums

The initiative centers on two key components:

Sensory Rooms at Every Stadium: Each of the 16 venues will include a dedicated quiet space where fans can step away from match intensity to regulate their sensory experience. These rooms will feature dimmed lighting, reduced noise, comfortable seating, tactile resources, and Hisense displays presenting calming visual content. Hisense’s advanced screen technology delivers clear, balanced visuals designed to support relaxation and sensory regulation.

Stadiums will feature sensory rooms within the venue or in the Stadium Fan Experience area as part of the expanded stadium footprint. In eight stadiums, both options will be available to fans, and fans will have access to a space in every stadium during every minute of the game itself. These rooms extend access to calming spaces throughout the venue, recognizing that sensory needs can arise at any moment during the event experience.

Ticket Access: In partnership with KultureCity, Hisense will provide complimentary match tickets in each Host City to families with sensory needs who may otherwise be unable to attend.

Creating a More Inclusive Tournament

In addition, the sensory rooms complement FIFA’s broader accessibility efforts, including sensory bags and trained venue staff to support fans with diverse needs.

“Football unites the world, and it is our goal to help everyone be able to participate in this sport—whether as a player or as a fan,” said Heimo Schirgi, Chief Operating Officer of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 will feature 104 matches across 16 cities over 39 days. For the first time in tournament history, every host stadium will include dedicated sensory-inclusive and accessible spaces—marking an important evolution in how global sporting events serve diverse audiences.

For more information about ticket applications through KultureCity, visit Hisense × KultureCity at FIFA World Cup 2026 – KultureCity .

About Hisense

Hisense, founded in 1969, is a globally recognized leader in home appliances and consumer electronics with operations in over 160 countries, specializing in delivering high-quality multimedia products, home appliances, and intelligent IT solutions. According to Omdia, Hisense ranks No. 1 globally in the 100-inch and over TV segment (2023-2025). As The Origin of RGB MiniLED, Hisense continues to lead the next-generation RGB MiniLED innovation. As the official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026TM, Hisense is committed to global sports partnerships as a way to connect with audiences worldwide.

What’s Actually in Your Energy Drink Depends on Where You Live

MONTREAL, QC – 21/05/2026 – (SeaPRwire) – A beverage expert spent six months collecting and assessing energy drinks from all six continents to create the world’s first objective global ranking of the category. But during the process, an unexpected discovery emerged: depending on the continent, energy drinks are fundamentally different products.

WORLDWIDE COLLECTION & ASSESSMENT

Pat Eckert, an internationally recognised German beverage professional and certified water sommelier, realised that nobody had ever created an objective global ranking of energy drinks. This was despite energy drinks being one of the world’s largest and most discussed beverage categories, while cars, phones, wines, films, and many other consumer sectors already have serious worldwide rankings.

So over roughly half a year, he and his team collected energy drinks from all six inhabited continents and assessed each one using the same professional 36-criteria framework, focused on measurable product quality, ingredients, transparency, and formulation standards. Top-performing products were submitted for laboratory testing and analytical verification. This became the Six Continents Index – built to be professional, rigorous, and objective.

The original goal was simple: to identify which brands objectively perform best worldwide.

However, during the assessment, another finding emerged almost accidentally: energy drinks are not really the same category across continents. Different regions follow very different product philosophies – from Europe’s strong focus on pasteurisation, to Asia’s preference for real sugar, to North America’s heavy reliance on artificial formulations, sweeteners and preservatives.

So the project ultimately became both the world’s first objective global energy drink ranking and a snapshot of how differently the category is formulated around the world.

The Shock FindingS

• Europe goes natural. South America goes artificial.
  85.7% of European energy drinks were pasteurised, compared with 12% in North America and under 1% in South America.
• Asia still uses real sugar. North America barely does.
  In Asia, 78.9% of energy drinks used real sugar. In North America: just 8%. They are effectively drinking a different product.
• North America runs on sweeteners. The rest of the world mostly does not.
  84% of North American energy drinks relied entirely on artificial sweeteners. In Europe: just 4.2%. In Asia, Australia, South America, and Africa: almost none.
• Australia vitaminizes. North America simplifies.
  Australian drinks averaged 4.2 vitamins per product, compared with just 2.9 in North America.
• Aspartame is still used worldwide, especially in Africa
  Aspartame (classified by WHO/IARC as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” (Group 2B)), was used in 10.5% of products worldwide, with 43% of those aspartame-containing products found in Africa.
• BPA-free labelling was almost invisible worldwide.
  Only 1.4% of the global sample clearly carried BPA-free labelling.
• North America – the world’s largest energy drink market by revenue – ranked last overall among the six continents.

Europe pasteurises. North America sweetens artificially. Asia uses real sugar. Australia vitaminizes. Same category, completely different product philosophies.

GLOBAL BRAND NOTES

Among the many brands assessed across six continents, two stood out for reasons beyond the ranking. Red Bull was the only energy drink brand found in virtually every market assessed worldwide, while Japan’s Lipovitan-D was the oldest brand in the study, having been on the market since 1962.

HIGHEST-SCORING PRODUCTS

At the continental level, Europe achieved the highest overall score in the index. Australia & Oceania ranked second, followed by Asia in third place.

At brand level, HELL Energy from Hungary achieved the highest overall score for objective product quality in the index. Second place went to 28 BLACK from Germany, followed by TAKE OFF, also from Germany.

FULL FINDINGS

Further findings, methodology, and background information are available on request at www.sixcontinentsindex.com

ABOUT THE PROJECT

The Six Continents Index was led by Pat Eckert and his team. Eckert is a German certified water sommelier and independent beverage expert whose previous work has been featured by The Guardian, ABC News, The Telegraph, L’Express, Der Spiegel, and the BBC.

Assessed brands were not notified in advance, did not apply, and had no involvement in the evaluation. No paid participation, sponsorship, or commercial influence played any role.

MEDIA CONTACT

Brand: Fine Liquids

Contact: Pat Eckert

Email: pat@fine-liquids.com

Website: https://sixcontinentsindex.com