There's little doubt that when it comes to sports, kids and teens are major league fans, outdoing adults in loyalty to the teams they love. A U.S. study conducted in 2001 found that 93 per cent of young people between the ages of 8 and 17 view sports on TV, and close to one third use some kind of sports media daily (TV, videogames, magazines, newspapers, the Internet or radio). And it's not just boys who are fans. Although they consume the greatest amounts of sports media (97 per cent), at 89 per cent, the girls aren't far behind.¹

Given the interest and passion young people bring to the sports they play and watch, it's easy to understand why there are ethical concerns when companies for adult-oriented products, such as alcohol, use sports to reach audiences.

Labatt shows its team spirit through the sponsorship and support of many different professional and amateur sports. Labatt Web Site

Alcohol companies are also huge sports fans. In 2003 the alcohol industry spent more than $540 million to place nearly 90,000 ads in sports programs on TV in the U.S.² In fact, 60 per cent of all alcohol advertising on television occurs during sporting events.³

In both Canada and the U.S., beer companies focus much of their advertising expenditure on sports – just four brands of beer account for 58 per cent of all alcohol advertised during college sporting events.⁴ In fact, Budweiser spent more than 80 per cent of its television advertising expenditures on sports programming in 2001, 2002 and 2003.⁵

Companies that produce malt beverages – also a popular choice with youth – are the leading non-beer sports advertisers – although other types of alcohol are increasingly joining in. For example, Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, which spent very little on sports TV advertising in 2001, spent over half a million dollars on advertising during televised sporting events in 2002 and close to $900,000 in 2003.⁶

Then there's the relationship between alcohol advertising and "big ticket" sporting events. In its study of alcohol advertising on sports television in the U.S., the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) found "significant amounts of advertising dollars" spent on high-profile events. For example, in 2003, the Super Bowl took in $29.6 million in alcohol advertising, and $21 million was spent on NCAA basketball tournament games.⁷ CAMY also found that, like fans, advertisers have favourite sports, with soccer games featuring the most ads for alcohol (one out of every 12 ads), followed by hockey games, professional basketball games and post-game programming, professional baseball and soccer.⁸

2003 Grey Cup Game

From an industry perspective, this is a sound investment. Alcohol promotion through commercials in sports programming or sponsorship of sports teams and events provides companies with tremendous exposure – before, during and after an event. It creates positive associations between drinking and the traits associated with athletes and teams: strength, loyalty, endurance, success, health, vitality, fun, fitness and speed. Promotion of youth-oriented events such as snowboarding, extreme sports and biking create an aura of "coolness" around a product – and grab the attention of a new generation of future drinkers.

The alcohol industry's use of sports to reach consumers has not gone unnoticed. According to a survey conducted in 2003 by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), 77 per cent of parents believe the beer companies that advertise during sporting events know their ads will appeal to kids and teens.⁹ Sixty-five per cent agree that beer companies intentionally use sports to reach and advertise to underage drinkers.¹⁰

Researchers have concluded that the more often a child sees an alcohol ad, the greater the likelihood he or she will develop positive expectations about drinking.¹¹ This effect is magnified when these ads are paired with programs that kids and teens enjoy. Typically, children who watch sporting events on television are exposed to 1.5 alcohol ads per hour.¹² (This figure doesn't include alcohol promotion through signage at sporting events or sponsorship of professional and college teams, sporting events, or sports TV and radio programs.) Boys in particular respond more positively to ads for alcohol that are embedded within sporting events than for alcohol ads in other kinds of programming.

A second influence on children's interpretations of media messages about alcohol is how they watch television with parents. When parents view ads and programs with kids without commenting on content, this can actually reinforce the media messages presented. Parents who actively watch and discuss alcohol advertising in sports programming with kids help them develop more balanced perspectives on the relationship between alcohol and sports. However, research shows that the average parent co-views with little or no discussion about media messages.¹³

Like commercials, sponsorship gives alcohol companies the opportunity to develop positive associations with their products.

The CSPI study concludes that "sponsorships … attempt to link the company with perceived winners or heroes; the biggest stars in a sport, the most winning team."¹⁴

Sports sponsorships are multi-million dollar investments, and they ensure that company brand names and logos are prominently featured during sporting events – an influential form of advertising that may be less obvious to parents and kids. Unlike Canadian laws prohibiting tobacco sponsorship, there are no laws in Canada or the U.S. that prohibit alcohol companies from sponsoring athletic teams and events. However, there has been considerable concern expressed in the U.S. regarding sports sponsorship by alcohol companies – especially in athletic venues that have youth audiences and involvement.

I'm not really even a beer drinker, but something about turning on a football game really makes me want a cold one. It's been naturalized into me by ads that imply beer makes sports more fun or heals when my team blows it. University student Thea Domber The Rocky Mountain Collegian November 17, 2003

According to the CSPI survey, 72 per cent of parents stated they would support a ban on alcohol ads on televised college games.¹⁵ And before the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, the Utah Alcohol Policy Coalition and other concerned organizations collected thousands of signatures in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the beer company Anheuser-Busch from sponsoring the Olympic Games. As one representative from Utah's PTA put it, "The Olympics are the ultimate athletic experience. Alcohol ads send a mixed message to youth that the ultimate fun is what they see in the ads."¹⁶ One physician puts it more bluntly: "Mixing sports with alcohol is always a bad combination, but mixing alcohol with the worldwide, youth-oriented Olympics no doubt is the worst mix of all." ¹⁷

Advocacy groups have had mixed success in limiting national alcohol sponsorships, but public opinion has influenced alcohol company sponsorship of local and municipal sporting events. However, in the United States, 80 national, state and local groups have joined the CSPI in launching a "Campaign for Alcohol-Free Sports TV" that seeks to prohibit alcohol advertising in televised college sports.¹⁸