A study by the ICMR-National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (ICMR-NICPR) has revealed alarming statistics about the promotion of unhealthy products during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup (Nov 2023). The research, published recently in Frontiers in Digital Health, found 80.9% of all advertisements aired on over-the-top (OTT) platforms during the tournament promoted tobacco, alcohol, and high-fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS) products.

Dr Prashant Kumar Singh, lead author and senior scientist at ICMR-NICPR, told The Indian Express that the study provides the first systematic evidence from a low and middle-income country showing how sporting events have become vehicles for promoting products that contribute to non-communicable diseases.

The research was conducted by a team of experts from ICMR-NICPR, vital strategies, Institute of Public Health Bengaluru, and AIIMS New Delhi. Five trained researchers independently recorded data for cross-verification to ensure rigor and reduce biases.

“As India aims to reduce premature NCD deaths by 25 per cent by 2025, we cannot allow commercial interests to undermine public health through unregulated digital platforms. Immediate policy intervention is crucial,” Dr Shalini Singh, senior author and director of ICMR-NICPR said. She also also stressed that their findings revealed a concerning loophole in digital advertising regulation. “While we have strict laws against tobacco and alcohol advertising, companies are exploiting OTT platforms through surrogate advertisements, particularly targeting the massive Indian cricket audience. With 422 million viewers exposed to these promotions, this represents a public health crisis hiding in plain sight.”

Key findings

The analysis of 341 hours of streaming across 48 matches revealed disturbing patterns of targeted marketing: 80.9% of all advertisements (1,769 out of 2,118) promoted unhealthy products,90.7% of advertisements during India matches belonged to the unhealthy products category, 86.7% of surrogate tobacco advertisements were specifically aired during matches involving the Indian team, 60.6% of unhealthy advertisements during over-breaks targeted products commonly consumed by children, 422 million viewers in India were exposed to these promotions, Celebrity endorsements were common, with 17.5% featuring Bollywood actors and 17% featuring cricket celebrities.

Children particularly vulnerable

The study identified children as especially vulnerable targets, with edible products commonly consumed by them comprising the highest frequency of unhealthy advertisements during cricket breaks. Products included chocolates, potato chips, noodles, and biscuits – all heavily marketed during peak viewing times.

Despite existing laws such as the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) 2003 and Cable Television Network Regulation Act 1995 that prohibit direct tobacco and alcohol advertising, the study revealed that companies successfully circumvent these restrictions through surrogate advertising on digital platforms. “The research showed a stark disparity in advertising patterns – surrogate tobacco advertisements were predominantly displayed during India matches (86.7%) while being negligible during other countries’ matches, indicating targeted marketing strategies,” Dr Singh said.

Urgent policy recommendations

Researchers have called for immediate action, updated regulatory frameworks to encompass digital and OTT platforms, stricter enforcement mechanisms for surrogate advertising, specific protections for children given their vulnerability to advertisement-induced behaviours, comprehensive monitoring of OTT platforms with clear consequences for non-compliance.