A proposal to introduce a total ban on alcohol advertising could reshape the financing model of sport in Poland. Commercial revenues, including sponsorship, are one of the three main pillars supporting clubs, alongside media rights and matchday income. Lawmakers from across the political spectrum argue that the new rules could hit smaller clubs and local governments the hardest, as they rely more heavily than major organisations on local partners, including breweries.
“If this bill comes into force in its current form, it will certainly affect the condition of sports clubs. For many years I ran a sports club that was financed by breweries. All over the world alcohol is allowed, of course provided everything is handled sensibly. I do not know why in Poland we are constantly stuck in a sphere of absurdity, orders, bans and restrictions. I travel to arenas around the world and see various stadiums, not only football venues but also speedway tracks and other event sites, where alcohol is available under normal, healthy rules,” Robert Dowhan of the Civic Coalition parliamentary club told Newseria news agency.
The financing model of European football relies heavily on commercial income. According to UEFA data, alongside media rights and matchday takings, sponsorship and other commercial activities remain one of the three main pillars of club revenue. This category includes sponsorship agreements with companies from a wide range of sectors. Annual revenues generated by European club football exceed €30 billion.
Research also points to the effectiveness of sports sponsorship. Nielsen’s Global Sports Report 2025 found that 67% of football fans worldwide consider brands sponsoring their favourite competitions to be more appealing, compared with 54% of the general population.
At the international level, rules governing alcohol advertising in sport vary from country to country. Major sports organisations such as UEFA and FIFA sign sponsorship deals with global reach. As a result, advertising displayed at major sporting events is also visible in markets where stricter domestic rules apply.
“Top-level sport, such as the UEFA Champions League, is very willing to use sponsorship money coming from breweries. That does not cause any problem. It is also thanks to that that we can watch sports broadcasts on television where we see advertisements. We cannot be a lone island. We live in the world of the internet today. We must not create laws that are in contradiction with the reality around us,” said Marek Wesoły, an MP from Law and Justice.
In Poland, alcohol advertising is currently restricted under the Act on Upbringing in Sobriety and Counteracting Alcoholism. Only beer advertising is permitted, and only under strict conditions, including a ban on directing such messages to minors and on linking alcohol with success. Proposed changes put forward by parliamentary circles, including the New Left and Poland 2050, would introduce a broad definition of alcohol advertising covering, among other things, the public display of trademarks, names and symbols of producers, and would ban it. As representatives of sports clubs argued during a conference held in the Sejm last week, this would in practice limit the presence of sponsor logos on shirts and advertising boards, as well as sales during sporting events. The draft does not provide exemptions for sponsorship, which has raised concerns among parts of the sports community.
“I am of course in favour of promoting a healthy lifestyle, but I would rather focus on education, dialogue and setting examples. I think that would produce results. Alcohol consumption in Poland and across Europe is falling, so there is no need for more bans or restrictions. Sometimes we turn simple matters into absurdity, and I hope this bill will not pass in its current form,” Robert Dowhan stressed.
In his view, restrictions on promotional activity could have a stronger effect on smaller entities, which rely more heavily on local marketing activity than large corporations operating across multiple markets. Data from The Brewers of Europe show that more than 10,000 breweries operate across the European Union, the vast majority of them small and medium-sized enterprises, often closely tied to local markets and communities. These companies frequently engage in cultural and sporting events as a way of building brand recognition and consumer relationships.
“The impact of this law will be that it hits both large and small players, but the small one has limited room for manoeuvre, limited sales channels and limited production capacity. The large one will cope, if not on the Polish market then abroad, because it is part of a corporation,” the Civic Coalition MP said.
The importance of commercial revenues in sport directly affects the ability of clubs to function, both at the professional and local levels. Sponsorship agreements are a stable source of financing for many organisations, helping to fund day-to-day operations, infrastructure investments and youth training. For smaller clubs that do not benefit from substantial media-rights income, the role of commercial partners is especially important.
“Breweries are companies operating in the market that are approached for sponsorship by sports clubs, but not only by them. Many city governments also cooperate with breweries. A ban on advertising would in effect break that cooperation and prevent them from promoting themselves as part of their business activity and public communication. That is why we believe this advertising ban goes too far and, above all, would destroy what has been built over many years under the current law,” Marek Wesoły said. “Alcohol consumption is falling, so I believe the current legal framework is producing good results. There is no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater.”
The value of Poland’s sports sponsorship market has been rising steadily. According to the Sports Sponsorship Market 2025 report by Sponsoring Insight, it reached PLN 1.46 billion in 2024, up from PLN 836.6 million a decade earlier. Energy and fuel companies accounted for more than 34% of spending, while the FMCG sector represented about 7.6% of the market, including beer producers.
