The estimate covers 53 broadcasts and branding visible during matches rather than traditional commercial breaks. Researchers say harmful-product logos appeared in every game examined, with more than 93,000 appearances recorded across 39.3 hours of football.
Unhealthy food and drink made up the overwhelming majority. Gambling, prediction-market, alcohol and cryptocurrency branding also featured, meaning the concern extends well beyond the familiar fast-food and soft-drink partnerships.
Rossi said the exposure was especially troubling because of “the substantial body of evidence linking marketing for unhealthy products, alcohol and gambling with increased consumption and a range of health, social and financial harms, especially among children and young people.”
The same advertising boards can be broadcast into more than 200 territories, even where certain products are restricted, unlicensed or illegal. That creates a problem that national advertising rules alone may struggle to solve.
The researchers point to virtual advertising replacement, a technology used at major tournaments including Euro 2024, as a possible answer. It can display different sponsors to audiences in different territories, allowing broadcasters and organisers to remove or replace brands where necessary.
That would not end football’s reliance on commercial income, but it could give the sport more control over what children and families see during live matches.
The debate is likely to intensify before the next major international tournament. Elisa Becker of Oxford said sport should help address poor health rather than become “one of the world's most powerful advertising platforms”. and broadcasters now face pressure to decide whether global reach should also mean global responsibility.