Thirty years ago, American scholar Lawrence Wenner wrote about a cultural irony where sports fans gather around, commenting on the prowess of professional athletes while holding a beer in hand.
From champagne celebrations on the podium to excited actions in the locker room or bar, alcohol, sports, and beverages have long been transformed into an inseparable culture, according to Al Jazeera.
Alcohol is seen as an essential part of many fans’ experience when watching sports matches.
On November 18, FIFA announced that alcoholic beverages would no longer be sold at all stadiums hosting matches of the 2022 World Cup. Alcohol will still be available in Qatar throughout the tournament, but not as widely as in previous World Cups.
Professor Steve Jackson from the University of Otago (New Zealand) stated that the roots of the relationship between sports and alcohol date back to Roman times.
“Bread and circuses, including wine and various alcoholic beverages, were provided to placate the populace and dispel social unrest,” he said.
Advertisers in the U.S. quickly recognized the power of associating their products with sports teams from the early days of popular radio. Beer manufacturers often sponsored local baseball teams in hopes of gaining fan loyalty.
Jackson mentioned that sports, beer, and masculinity form a “Holy Trinity” systematically, as they interact with the market and the broader picture of gender in contemporary culture.
Alcoholic beverages are often considered indispensable before, during, and after the game.
The Bond “As Old As the Earth”
Many sports often regard men as the primary participants and supporters, but there is an argument that “toxic masculinity” has made it difficult for them to openly discuss personal issues, emotions, or mental health.
Paul Widdop, a geopolitical sports economics scholar at the University of Manchester (UK), stated: “Beer facilitates interaction between men and women alike. It is part of sports culture, created by generations of fans interacting with each other through shared symbols, not just with beer brands, but also with pubs. That’s why most sports fields in the Victoria area are located next to pubs.”
In this sense, alcohol acts as a social lubricant.
The way alcohol is combined with sporting events can vary depending on the location, according to Siwcbrewery.
In the U.S., it is hard to find a bar without at least one flat-screen TV tuned to the local sports team. Popular restaurant chains often have areas set up with multiple screens. On Sundays, these venues are packed with men, women, and children cheering for football.
Nightclubs may also feature an LED TV broadcasting sports programs prominently.
In American sports, alcoholic beverages are a crucial component of the spectator experience. Many beers, whiskies, and other spirits are consumed before, during, and after events.
Beer facilitates interaction among fans. It is part of sports culture. (Photo: Antonio Calanni/AP).
In the UK, most media attention focuses on hooliganism in football and the rough sports culture. Decades ago, alcohol, among other substances, was a leading cause of significant violence and anti-social behavior.
Of course, this, like much of Europe, led to a ban on drinking at football matches.
On the flip side, fans of “gentlemanly” sports like rugby and cricket consider alcoholic beverages indispensable when following the action on the field.
A notable difference between American and British sports culture is who the audience for those sports is. At American football or basketball games, many women and children also attentively enjoy the event. This contrasts with the UK, where stadiums are more dominated by loudly cheering men.
Many reasons lead fans to view drinking alcohol while watching or participating in sports as a beloved pastime worldwide.
First, alcoholic beverages help calm the nerves. This is referred to as the coping mechanism or “Dutch Courage” (the confidence some people gain from drinking before doing something that requires bravery). A few pints of favorite beer can remind spectators that it’s just a game.
Next, alcohol helps bond those who share a passion. Being part of the crowd at a stadium or in a sports pub enhances the excitement. Like many other alcoholic beverages, beer often makes people more relaxed around strangers.
Additionally, alcoholic drinks also help fans unwind and release emotions, even reconcile with each other after a tense match.
Not Easy to Change
The marketing of the relationship between sports and alcohol is considered alchemy. According to the sports market forecasting company Sportcal, 30 top alcoholic beverage brands are spending over $760 million per year on more than 280 sponsorship contracts for the largest competitions, clubs, and athletes in the sports industry.
Football is the most targeted sport by beer and alcohol brands.
A study published by the Six Nations Championship in 2020 found that on average, there is a mention of alcohol every 12 seconds during each match. Most of these mentions relate to the event’s main sponsor.
In Ethiopia, where alcohol advertising is banned, a study on Premier League football matches on television showed that some forms of alcohol advertising appeared for an average of 10.8 minutes during a 90-minute match.
As the most popular sport in the world, football is also the most targeted by brands.
About 49% of all active alcohol sponsorship deals focus on football. Among these, 59% target European consumers. The next largest market is North America, with 20%.
The British Beer and Pub Association estimated that when England prepared to face Denmark in the Euro 2020 semifinals, companies were set to pour 10 million pints on the day of the match. The Economist reported that during the match, about 50,000 drinks were purchased every minute.
Excessive alcohol consumption is linked to violent behavior. Alcohol is also the connection established between sports outcomes and abuse. According to a 2014 study by Lancaster University, domestic violence incidents increased by 38% when the England team lost a football match. The number of cases spiked by 26% when the outcome was a win or draw.
But it’s not just major televised tournaments that have alcohol. Grassroots sports clubs often have bars that provide the necessary income to maintain operations.
Domestic violence spikes in the hours after England’s football matches, a 2014 study found. (Photo: Philippe Wojazer/Reuters).
“Here, the sports culture and its combination with the drinking culture have become natural. It has become a sign or rule of acceptable masculinity, indicating that you are a “real man,” Wenner said.
While the sports and alcohol culture has certainly influenced the development of masculinity in the 20th and 21st centuries, advocates argue that many opportunities for people to play sports would not exist without income from sponsorship and alcohol sales.
Moreover, with the growing popularity of women’s sports, advertisers are reluctant to break the beneficial link and instead prefer to adapt by featuring more women in alcohol advertisements as consumers rather than commodities, which has been a prominent characteristic of alcohol advertising history.
“The Women’s World Cup will take place in New Zealand and Australia next year, and the alcohol industry is looking to profit from it. Often, it’s not just beer aimed at women, but also spirits,” Professor Jackson said.
Professor Catherine Palmer from Northumbria University noted that the culture linking alcohol to sports, which has existed for centuries, is unlikely to end soon. No alternative sports funding source has been identified, and alcohol sponsorship will continue to play a significant role in clubs and leagues from small to large.
However, culture can change and expand, especially if there is a profit motive.
As the global wine and sports industries continue to adapt to reach non-traditional markets, we may still observe profit motives in inclusivity and the separation of more violent and “toxic” elements of culture.
This is certainly worth a toast.
