Nowadays, many businesses use sponsorship as a way of promoting their brand. While some believe this benefits the sports industry, others argue that it brings certain drawbacks. I personally believe that sponsorship can be a positive force in the world of sport. (42)
On the one hand, it may promote unhealthy products such as junk food, alcoholic drinks and so on. And it has a bad impact on people, especially on children. Once they watch such advertisements, they start to consume such foods, which leads to a unhealthy lifestyle. Promoting brands by sports also shifts focus from training to making profit. Instead of focusing utterly on performance, athletes may be pressured to act based on brand images. Some players must attend several events and wear branded gear, even during training. It may be feel distracting sometimes.
On the other hand, sponsorship provides essential financial support for the teams as they rely on promoters to cover the costs of training equipments or to pay the salaries of team members. For example, a local football team in New Zealand may not survive without the assisstance of a community or patrons. Furthermore, it also improves the quality of training in sports. Because it allows sportsmen access to better facilities and train full-time. Another advantage of sponsorship is it can enhance public interest and participation. The main reason for this is that it can raise awareness and attract young people’s attention, when companies promote sports through marketing campaigns. For instance, the long-standing partnership between Coca Cola and Fifa encourages to generate excitement for football all around the world.
To make the long story short, while sport sponsorship does have some drawbacks, particularly when promoting unhealthy products, it also plays a vital role in improving facilities, enhancing business and making profit.