A new study reports that FIFA World Cup broadcasts show very frequent visible brand appearances for unhealthy food and drink, alcohol, gambling and other speculative products. Across coverage of the tournament, researchers record more than 93,000 visible brand appearances over the course of the event, including 65,722 appearances for unhealthy food and drink brands alone.
The research, conducted by the University of Bristol, indicates the exposure is widespread during the finals and can be frequent enough that it is effectively unavoidable for viewers. Both outlets describe the same overall pattern: unhealthy food and drink branding accounts for the majority share of visible promotions, with additional branding linked to alcohol, gambling and speculative products appearing regularly. The outlets emphasize similar findings but focus on different elements—one highlights the total count of brand appearances across categories and how often viewers are exposed, while the other underscores that the advertising presence is difficult to avoid during the broadcast.
