‘Constant bombardment’: Study finds 65,722 junk-food ads visible during World Cup matches

An academic analysis of the international broadcast feed from this summer’s World Cup found brands that produce foods and drinks classed by the UK government as high in fat, salt or sugar were displayed 65,722 times during play across the tournament’s 104 matches, researchers say.

What the study measured

Researchers at the University of Bristol and the University of Oxford developed an artificial‑intelligence tool to scan the live-match footage carried on the tournament’s international feed. They recorded commercial logos and products appearing on pitchside advertising boards and around stadiums in the USA, Canada and Mexico during live play only — not during pre‑match, half‑time breaks or hydration pauses.

The model counted 65,722 appearances of junk‑food and sugary‑drink branding and estimated that those ads were visible for a combined 28.1 hours over the competition, equivalent to just over 16% of the total match playing time. The researchers also reported an average of 576 visible junk‑food or drink ads per match.

Which brands featured most

The study found Coca‑Cola had the largest number of appearances, recorded 21,893 times. McDonald’s was next on 13,915, followed by Powerade on 12,777 and Lay’s (branded Walkers in the UK) on 12,087. The four named brands are official commercial partners of the world governing body Fifa; Powerade is owned by the Coca‑Cola Company.

How this compares with other advertising categories

The report compared the prevalence of these brands with other potentially harmful advertising sectors. Junk‑food and sugary‑drink logos were around seven times more common than alcohol and prediction‑market brands, ten times more common than gambling firms and nearly 25 times more common than cryptocurrency on the international broadcast feed, according to the researchers.

Reaction and context

Fifa told the BBC that most of its revenue is reinvested into football, including projects it says promote health and wellbeing, and pointed to social impact campaigns such as Be Active. That response was provided to BBC Sport in relation to the research.

Researchers behind the analysis highlighted public‑health concerns. Dr Elisa Becker, identified by the study as a co‑author, said sport should not become one of the world’s most powerful advertising platforms for products that contribute to poor diet—language used in the researchers’ reporting and attributed to them in BBC Sport coverage.

Public‑health experts quoted in the coverage urged a global approach to advertising rules. Greg Fell, president of the Association of Directors of Public Health, described the situation as “definitely a loophole” in national advertising protections and compared modern junk‑food marketing methods to historical tobacco industry practices; this attribution is recorded in the reporting of the study.

Policy backdrop — why UK rules did not stop the feed ads

Since October 2025 the UK has banned certain HFSS (high fat, salt or sugar) food advertising on television before 9pm. The researchers noted that the stadium and pitchside displays captured on the international feed fall outside that legislation because the adverts are physical hoardings at an international event and not domestic TV commercials. As a result, UK viewers could see burgers, crisps and sugary drinks displayed during matches at times when similar advertising would be banned on UK‑regulated TV.

Why this matters for football and public health

The study’s findings raise three immediate issues for stakeholders in football and health policy:

• Visibility and normalisation: Repeated exposure to branding during globally watched matches may normalise product consumption, especially among younger viewers, according to the researchers’ interpretation recorded in the study coverage.
• Regulatory gaps: National advertising rules can be circumvented by international sporting events whose pitchside branding appears on international broadcast feeds.
• Commercial dependence: Fifa’s sponsorship model relies on global brand partnerships; the organisation says sponsorship income supports football development and social campaigns, a point Fifa made in reply to the research.

Timeline of key facts from the study

1. The analysis covered all 104 matches on the World Cup international broadcast feed.
2. Researchers used an AI tool to detect and count visible brand logos and products on pitchside advertising and stadium displays during live play.
3. They recorded 65,722 appearances of brands producing foods and drinks classed by the UK government as high in fat, salt or sugar.
4. Those appearances amounted to 28.1 hours of cumulative visibility across the tournament.
5. Coca‑Cola, McDonald’s, Powerade and Lay’s were the most frequently seen brands, and all are official Fifa partners.

What comes next

The study has prompted calls for a broader, international response to advertising at global sporting events. National regulators can limit domestic television advertising, but the research suggests that physical stadium advertising on international feeds remains a gap. The coverage records public‑health voices urging cross‑border collaboration; any policy change would require international discussion between rights‑holding broadcasters, event organisers, sponsors and public‑health authorities.

Limitations and disputed points

Findings are drawn from the AI model developed by the University of Bristol and University of Oxford researchers and reported by BBC Sport. The counts relate only to the international broadcast feed during play and do not cover pre‑match, half‑time or other non‑play broadcast slots. Fifa provided a statement emphasising reinvestment into football; no figures were provided in the reporting to independently verify the financial balance between sponsorship income and the organisation’s health programmes.

For G3.Football readers in the UK, the analysis highlights how national broadcast protections can be sidestepped by international event advertising — a practical point for policymakers, clubs and supporters concerned about the visibility of HFSS marketing during major tournaments.