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Abstract
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OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the potential financial impacts on Australian television networks of a ban on alcohol advertising during sports broadcasts.
METHODS: We analysed television advertising data from Nielsen, a commercial market research company. The data included details of all advertisements (ads) for the 10 highest-spending alcohol brands on free-to-air television networks in the five largest capital cities in Australia over a 12-month period (November 2018-October 2019). We estimated alcohol advertising spend during sports broadcasts. Financial value per network was estimated using ad duration and total spend per channel.
RESULTS: There were 10,660 alcohol ads (average of 75 minutes per week) shown during sports broadcasts, amounting to A$14.4 million in revenue to television networks. Forty-five per cent of these ads were at children's viewing times. Channel Seven received the largest amount of alcohol advertising revenue (A$20.8 million), of which A$10.8 million (52.0%) was during sports broadcasts (0.5% of its total advertising revenue).
CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol advertising during sports broadcasts is pervasive but contributes a relatively small proportion of revenue for television networks. Implications for public health: A ban on alcohol advertising during sport broadcasts is unlikely to have major financial impacts on broadcasters, whilst the health and social benefits are potentially substantial.
Language: en |