Australian football codes awash with alcohol and gambling sponsorships and marketing
06/08/2026
Australia’s national football codes and clubs are saturated with sponsorship from alcohol and gambling companies.
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Australia’s national football codes and clubs are saturated with sponsorship from alcohol and gambling companies.
Advocates, sports players and executives are calling for change in Australia’s alcohol-soaked sporting culture which perpetuates harm to women and children.
Every AFL and NRL club in Australia is now sponsored by alcohol companies, while every NRL club and five AFL
Everyone in Australia – especially children and young people – should be able to watch and follow sports free from alcohol and gambling advertising. For years, the community has been calling for this change. Despite this, alcohol and gambling companies continue to saturate the Australian Football League (AFL) and National Rugby League (NRL) with advertising of their harmful products, through a myriad of sponsorship deals across the two leagues.
Advocates, experts and sports players have gathered at Parliament House to today call on political and sporting leaders to acknowledge and address the role of sport to prevent alcohol-related domestic, family and sexual violence.
Across codes, sports promotion is inseparable from addictive and harmful products like alcohol.
For women and children experiencing gender-based violence across the country, sporting events mean they are at even greater risk.
I grew up on a farm near a small town in central NSW. Throughout my childhood I played a range
After recognising alcohol was having a negative impact on her life, Natalya resolved to choose her health and happiness over what society wanted – and hasn’t looked back.
From ensuring kids see fewer alcohol, gambling and unhealthy food ads, to better supporting young men, this is how taking action to reduce harmful product advertising can create a better future.
In 2024, National Cabinet made a commitment that should have marked a turning point in how this country approaches the prevention of domestic, family and sexual violence.
Australians should be able to enjoy sport and entertainment in environments that are safe and free from harm caused by alcohol. Commercial free-to-air television continues to play a significant role in the lives of Australians, and in shaping community norms and behaviours. More than half of Australian adults are watching broadcast television each week, according to the latest data from ACMA.
This article was first published on Women’s Agenda. As the curtain open on this year’s footy season, parents across the
I’m Good is a digital campaign that offers tips, strategies and evidence-based information to the 1 in 3 Canberrans who want to cut back or cut out alcohol.
Public health organisations and community advocates are calling on Australia’s media regulator to use its review of television alcohol advertising rules to introduce stronger safeguards, saying current regulations fail to protect the community from harm and fall short of public expectations.
This report analyses findings from a nationally representative survey conducted in February 2026, on public attitudes to alcohol advertising on television in Australia. The survey reveals significant community concern about the nature and extent of alcohol advertising and signals clear community demand for stricter regulation of alcohol advertising.
There should never be a dollar value that buys our democracy. And yet alcohol and gambling companies are donating millions of dollars to Australian political parties in a pattern that peaks just before election time.
In March 2026, the NT Legislative Assembly referred the Liquor Legislation Amendment Bill 2026 to the NT Legislative Scrutiny Committee for a rushed inquiry, seeking submissions within just one week. In the Bill, the NT Government did not give sufficient regard to the right to health, or to the ‘consultation’ process on the Bill. The Bill would likely contribute to preventable harm in the Northern Territory community.
When I lost my son Dylan to Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) in 2022, my world changed forever.
Right now, there is a key opportunity to make a pivotal change to how alcohol can be advertised on TV.
Australia’s national football codes and clubs are saturated with sponsorship from alcohol and gambling companies.
Every AFL and NRL club in Australia is now sponsored by alcohol companies, while every NRL club and five AFL clubs also have gambling sponsors,
Everyone in Australia – especially children and young people – should be able to watch and follow sports free from alcohol and gambling advertising. For years, the community has been calling for this change. Despite this, alcohol and gambling companies continue to saturate the Australian Football League (AFL) and National Rugby League (NRL) with advertising of their harmful products, through a myriad of sponsorship deals across the two leagues.
Advocates, experts and sports players have gathered at Parliament House to today call on political and sporting leaders to acknowledge and address the role of sport to prevent alcohol-related domestic, family and sexual violence.
For women and children experiencing gender-based violence across the country, sporting events mean they are at even greater risk.
Community organisations and leading family violence experts are calling on the AFL and NRL to take action to help curb the surge in violence towards women and children around grand finals by phasing out harmful alcohol and gambling advertising that fuels the crisis.
Public health groups are calling for an end to harmful marketing in sport as a new analysis shows a quarter of sponsorships of the 2023 State of Origin are by companies that profit from alcohol, gambling and unhealthy foods.
Families watching the 2023 State of Origin are bombarded with marketing of harmful products like alcohol, gambling and unhealthy foods, which cause significant ill health and social harm in Australia.
Recently, Kylian Mbappé – the world’s highest-paid soccer player – refused to be involved in marketing photos with KFC. While the French Football Federation’s official partner KFC was unimpressed by this action, they backflipped on comments made by an executive who seemed to threaten legal action against the player.
Right now, there is much excitement in my household about the State of Origin. But there’s something else on too, and our kids are taking notice. Research released by Deakin University recently analysed the number of alcohol ads shown during sport on free-to-air television networks.
New research into esports shows that with explosive growth and investment, zero regulation and a young player base, producers of dangerous and unhealthy commodities are now targeting and exploiting a new vulnerable audience.
A study launched today highlights the extent that foreign multinationals leverage the popularity of the AFL and NRL to market their alcohol brands to kids.
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