Alcohol Sponsorship In AFL & NRL Seen As ‘Toxic’ According To New Report
Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) has released a report highlighting the prevalence of alcohol advertising in the AFL and NRL by reviewing clubs’ official websites, merchandise and social media channels.
The analysis found that 17 of 18 men’s AFL clubs currently accept money from the alcohol industry, with the Geelong Cats ranked as the worst team boasting three major and one minor alcohol advertising deals.
In the NRL, 15 of the 16 official clubs accept money from the alcohol industry with the North Queensland Cowboys on top of the ladder with four major and one minor alcohol advertising deals.
Trish Hepworth, FARE Director of Research and Policy, says the study found that alcohol advertising deals are widespread in the AFL and NRL, with brands promoted across a range of channels, including merchandise and playing kits.
“Of the 18 teams in the men’s AFL, all but one have deals with alcohol companies,” Hepworth said.
“In the NRL, all but one of the 16 clubs have a range of deals with alcohol companies.
“These teams are being paid to promote various harmful alcohol products to sports’ youngest fans,” Ms Hepworth said.
Former St Kilda President, Rod Butterss, has applauded the Western Bulldogs for being the only men’s AFL club free of alcohol advertising.
“As an ambassador for the national campaign to End Alcohol Advertising in Sport, I congratulate the ‘doggies’ for being the only club to resist the temptation of accepting money from the alcohol industry,” Mr Butterss said.
“It just goes to show that alcohol advertising deals are not a pre-requisite for success or popularity,” he said.
The AFL competition has surpassed one million members for the first time in the game’s history and continues to build on record membership and operational growth, with Mr Butterss noting that this should be a very stable base to begin the process of severing ties with the alcohol industry.
Former NRL player Steve Ella is also an ambassador of the End Alcohol Advertising in Sport campaign and is calling on the NRL to put its fans before profiting from the greedy alcohol industry.
“The NRL made $46 million profit last year and had more than one million viewers watching the NRL Telstra Premiership, which is great exposure for the sport, but not at the expense of kids who were exposed to three alcohol ads every minute of finals game,” he said.
“It’s great to see Melbourne Storm leading the way by having no alcohol advertising deals.
“North Queensland Cowboy, on the other hand, have four major and one minor alcohol advertising deals, followed by New Zealand Warriors, Brisbane Broncos, Canberra Raiders and Wests Tigers.
“NRL’s youngest fans deserve better,” Mr Ella said.
Four of the world’s largest foreign-owned alcohol companies have stitched-up the majority of alcohol advertising deals with the AFL and NRL, with Carlton & United Breweries (AB InBev, Belgium) having the most advertising deals.
Ms Hepworth says although alcohol is legal, this addictive, psychoactive and carcinogenic drug leads to almost 6000 deaths every year in Australia and is a factor in more than 200 diseases and injury conditions.
