A study led by the University of Bristol and University of Oxford has analyzed the scale of harmful commodity branding across the entire 2026 FIFA World Cup, revealing extensive embedded advertising that viewers could not avoid.
Using the UK’s most powerful supercomputer, Isambard-AI, researchers examined all 172.6 hours of live play across the tournament’s 104 matches. According to FIFA, nearly six billion people worldwide engaged with the tournament, with broadcast records broken in more than 30 countries. For the UK alone, researchers estimated that harmful product advertising generated 267 billion impressions across 53 broadcasts with available audience data.
The study focused on advertising built into match footage—such as hoardings—rather than commercial breaks. Harmful product branding appeared in every match and was visible during 39.3 hours of live play, representing almost a quarter of all live play. This exposure was unavoidable for viewers without missing portions of the football.
Unhealthy food and drink brands dominated sponsorships, accounting for more than 70% of all branding detected. Prediction markets appeared 9,360 times, alcohol 9,266 times, gambling 6,429 times, and cryptocurrency 2,632 times. Four globally recognized brands—a soft drink company (21,893 logos), a fast-food chain (13,915), a sports drink brand (12,777), and a crisps brand (12,087)—were responsible for 65% of all harmful commodity logos.
A significant concern highlighted in the research is that FIFA’s match footage, featuring the same embedded advertising, was distributed worldwide, including countries where alcohol, gambling, or prediction market advertising may be restricted or illegal. According to the study, approximately 16,000 gambling and prediction market logos appeared, reaching countries where the advertised brands were unlicensed or had uncertain legal status. One frequently advertised gambling brand held licenses in roughly 20 countries while the World Cup was broadcast across more than 220 territories.
The researchers note that virtual board replacement technology—previously used by UEFA EURO 2024—could have enabled different advertising for different countries, but FIFA did not employ this approach. The study calls for governments and regulators to ensure marketing rules apply to embedded branding in live sports broadcasts, backed by meaningful penalties. Researchers also urge FIFA to adopt an independently developed public interest standard for commercial partnerships and use existing technology to remove or replace branding where products cannot lawfully be advertised.
Key facts
- Harmful product branding appeared in every match and was visible during 39.3 hours of live play—almost a quarter of all live play
- Unhealthy food and drink brands represented more than 70% of all branding detected
- Combined gambling and prediction market logos appeared over 16,000 times across tournament broadcasts
- Four major brands accounted for 65% of all harmful commodity logos recorded
- FIFA distributed World Cup footage containing embedded branding to countries where some advertised products are restricted or illegal
- Virtual board replacement technology used by UEFA EURO 2024 could have enabled country-specific advertising but was not deployed by FIFA