Alcohol And Sport

The responsible consumption of alcohol can be an enjoyable part of a healthy lifestyle and the Australian alcohol beverages industry advertises responsibly.

Restricting the industry from advertising is about changing the way Australians think about alcohol and drinking.

Enjoying a drink with mates at a sports game is part of Australia’s DNA and the industry is rightly proud of its sponsorship of Australian sport – from the smallest local clubs right up to our iconic national teams.

The industry’s support ranges from significant sponsorship agreements with professional competitions, down to local hotels and restaurants offering prizes for local club days and weekend sports teams, or pubs supplying meeting rooms for club members or even just a place to socialise after the game.  Local sponsorship is about supporting the communities the industry is part of and more than 20,500 local sports teams rely on the local pub or hotel to operate.

National sports advertising and sponsorship is about building brands and winning market share. The target market for many alcohol brands fits closely with those watching and attending major sports events – predominantly adults.  For example, across all timeslots for 2014-15, the NRL season viewership on Channel 9 averaged around 90% aged 18 and above.

Underage drinking in Australia has been dropping since 2001 and the age of initiation continues to increase, despite the presence of alcohol marketing and sports sponsorship.

When it comes to young people, clear evidence shows that the major influences on drinking behaviour are peer group norms and parental drinking behaviour.

The advertising seen through sports sponsorships is regulated through the Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code – a robust independent system with a government representative in its five-strong Management Committee.  This ensures the content of the advertisements does not have strong or evident appeal to minors or encourage irresponsible consumption.

For industry media comment regarding this issue please contact Alcohol Beverages Australia

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