For the first time ever, the International Olympic Committee has made a deal with the alcohol industry to sponsor events that celebrate the marvels of human achievement.
But criticism and opposition is rising against such harmful practices.
This year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) signed on alcohol industry giant Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) as a part of its sponsorship program. Membership in the program is a coveted position for the exposure it provides. It is also expensive because the sponsorship deal earns billions of dollars for the IOC.
The IOC partnership with the world’s largest beer producer is highly ...
For the first time ever, the International Olympic Committee has made a deal with the alcohol industry to sponsor events that celebrate the marvels of human achievement.
But criticism and opposition is rising against such harmful practices.
This year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) signed on alcohol industry giant Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) as a part of its sponsorship program. Membership in the program is a coveted position for the exposure it provides. It is also expensive because the sponsorship deal earns billions of dollars for the IOC.
The IOC partnership with the world’s largest beer producer is highly controversial. The profit maximization interests of the alcohol industry – selling a harmful, carcinogenic, addictive product to ever more (young) people everywhere – contradicts directly the IOC’s own vision.
“Building a better world through sport” is the IOC vision, and sport is meant to serve humankind.
For example, in 2020 the World Health Organization – UNICEF – The Lancet Commission on the Future of the World’s Children identified two existential threats to children: among them the existential threat of predatory commercial exploitation that is encouraging harmful and addictive activities that are extremely deleterious to young people’s health. The alcohol industry is included.
“(The Olympic Commitee) will not accept commercial associations with products that may conflict with or be considered inappropriate to the mission of the IOC or to the spirit of Olympism” (Olympic marketing file, 2023 Edition)
The sponsorship deal is valued at $1.725 billion, according to Times of India.
Read more about unethical practices of AB InBev and why it matters here.
This year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) made a deal with alcohol industry giant Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) as a part of its sponsorship program.
Membership in the program is a coveted position for the exposure it provides. It is also expensive because the sponsorship deal earns billions of dollars for the IOC.
The IOC and AB InBev announced the deal on January 05, 2024, for the next three Summer and Winter Olympic Games.
It is the first collaboration between the Olympics and a beer company. The sponsorship deal is valued at $1.725 billion, according to Times of India. It means an avalanche of alcohol marketing will flood TVs, social media, and public places for AB InBev to get more people to consume alcohol. The Paris Olympics will open on July 26, and the deal also includes the 2026 Winter Games in northern Italy. The more popular, perhaps more commercially relevant event is the Los Angeles Olympics, scheduled for 2028.
The IOC partnership with the world’s largest beer producer is highly controversial and the deal between the IOC and Big Alcohol is harming the young generation.
The profit maximization interests of the alcohol industry – selling a harmful, carcinogenic, addictive product to ever more (young) people everywhere – contradicts directly the IOC’s own vision.
“Building a better world through sport” is the IOC vision, and sport is meant to serve humankind. But alcohol is a major cause of death and disease among children and young people, especially.
Alcohol is the second largest risk factor for disease burden in the age group 10-24 years. Alcohol is the largest risk factor for disease burden in the group 25-49 years.
In 2020, the “UNICEF-World Health Organization-Lancet Commission on the Future of the World’s Children” identified two existential threats to the health and well-being of the world’s children: the climate emergency and predatory commercial exploitation, such as marketing of alcohol and tobacco.
In addition to the harm alcohol companies are causing with their products and practices, the alcohol industry has a horrible human rights track record. Anheuser Busch InBev engages in unethical and predatory practices around the world.
Allowing alcohol marketing during the Olympic Games means to allow and facilitate the exploitation of millions of children and young people, by an alcohol company that is already causing serious harm to people and communities worldwide.
We call on the IOC and all national Olympic Committees to live up to that responsibility and to place the future of our children before the profit greed of alcohol companies.
We call on the IOC to reverse the decision to turn the Olympics into an alcohol marketing bonanza.