Serbia defeated Hungary 10:7 in the final of the European Water Polo Championship in Belgrade to win the European title for the sixth time, in a match that brought the tournament to a close as both a sporting and organisational case study for a sport that is constantly seeking greater commercial reach.
The finals delivered a tempo worthy of a classic between two water polo powerhouses. Hungary took the lead, Serbia responded quickly, and the decisive advantage was built in the third and fourth quarters, with goals coming at the moments when the final was being decided.
Dušan Mandić finished as the leading attacking figure with four goals, while Milan Glušac, with a series of saves, effectively shut the door and turned the pressure from the home crowd into a result.
Alongside the hosts’ gold medal, Belgrade also achieved a victory as the competition organizer. The large arena format once again showed that water polo can look like an arena event, rather than merely a pool-based sport for a narrow audience. Capacity, due to the raised pool, was limited to around 12,500 seats, which in practice highlights two things: demand for top-level matches exists, but monetisation still has a physical ceiling until the sport transitions to a greater number of such events.
On the revenue side, water polo continues to rely on a combination of sponsorships and institutional support, while tournament branding shows where the most realistic room for growth lies, in event packaging, digital reach, and stable partnerships that can finance production and infrastructure.
The digital component this year was just as important as the stands. The European Championship was available free of charge via streaming on Eurovision Sport, a clear signal that the sport is expanding its reach through distribution, even when the sale of television rights is limited by market size and a fragmented audience.
In that sense, Belgrade 2026 is more of a model than an exception. The sport retains elite status in a handful of countries, but growth requires greater visibility, a clearer product, and continuous investment in the event itself, not just in results.
(Bloomberg Adria, 25.01.2026)