Alcohol is one of the most heavily marketed products in the world, and sport is a key strand of the industry’s advertising strategies. As with the tobacco industry before it, and the gambling industry now, alcohol companies present their harmful products as all part of a good time at the sport.

The purpose of marketing is clear – it is to create a need or desire for a product. When it comes to alcohol this is interesting because alcohol is not a staple, it is not a necessary purchase, a market must be created for it – and new drinkers must be recruited to create, sustain, and expand that market – young people are an important part of this market.

Alcohol companies frequently use sports sponsorship to maintain high visibility, even in jurisdictions with advertising restrictions as they continuously come up with novel ways to circumvent legislation and sidestep the efforts of policy makers.

This report demonstrates how alcohol sports sponsorship, especially the use of 0.0 alcohol products, is exposing young people to significant levels of alcohol brand marketing. The insights in this report underscore the need for more comprehensive regulatory frameworks that address indirect marketing strategies and prioritise youth protection in sport sponsorship.