A BMJ investigation has uncovered at least 95 sponsorship deals between UK sporting entities and companies selling high fat, salt, or sugar (HFSS) products. Brands such as Cadbury, PepsiCo, KP Snacks, and Monster Energy feature prominently, with sponsorships spanning football, cricket, rugby, cycling, motorsports, and more. These deals, which often target youth and family audiences, are seen by public health experts as undermining efforts to reduce obesity and diet-related ill health.
Marketing through sports offers a “health halo effect”, making unhealthy products appear acceptable by association with elite athletes. This is especially concerning as these sponsorships circumvent HFSS advertising regulations, including the long-delayed UK 9 pm watershed ban on junk food ads, now due in January 2026.
Energy drinks have aggressively entered mainstream sports, expanding beyond extreme sports. Red Bull and Monster Energy, for example, sponsor football clubs and high-profile athletes, despite concerns over high sugar and caffeine content and links to mental health issues in youth. Lando Norris, Formula 1 driver for McLaren, who won the British Grand Prix last weekend at Silverstone, is pictured above with a Monster Energy drink.
Cadbury, in particular, has capitalised on the 2025 UEFA Women’s Championship, sponsoring key players and launching campaigns involving chocolate giveaways and social media endorsements. Critics argue this manipulates children’s admiration for sports stars to promote unhealthy products.
The government has so far resisted calls to ban such sponsorships. A House of Lords report and public health leaders – including Health Equalities Group – have urged urgent regulatory action. The government maintains it is reviewing evidence but has no current plans for a ban.
Experts draw parallels with past tobacco sponsorship, calling for a comprehensive ban on HFSS product advertising in sports to protect children and public health. As Robin Ireland notes, “Sport and health should go together”, not with brands promoting products linked to the obesity crisis.
For the main BMJ investigation, highlighting how extensive HFSS sponsorship of UK sports is, please click here.
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