Study Reveals Over 80% Ads During ICC World Cup 2023 on OTT Promoted Unhealthy Products, Children Among Most Affected
Study Reveals Over 80% Ads During ICC World Cup 2023 on OTT Promoted Unhealthy Products, Children Among Most Affected
New Delhi, July 1, 2025:
A new study by the ICMR-National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (ICMR-NICPR) has raised serious public health concerns over digital advertising trends during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. The research revealed that a staggering 80.9% of advertisements aired on OTT platforms during the tournament promoted unhealthy products, including tobacco, alcohol, and foods high in fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS).
Published in Frontiers in Digital Health, the study highlights how major sporting events are increasingly being used as platforms to promote products linked to non-communicable diseases (NCDs), especially to vulnerable audiences like children.
According to a report in Indian Express, Dr. Prashant Kumar Singh, the lead author and senior scientist at ICMR-NICPR, emphasized the significance of the study. “This is the first systematic evidence from a low- and middle-income country demonstrating how commercial advertising during sports events contributes to the promotion of health-harming products,” he said.
Key Findings from the Study:
- Of the 2,118 ads analyzed over 341 hours of streaming across 48 World Cup matches, 1,769 (80.9%) promoted unhealthy products.
- India matches had the highest exposure, with 90.7% of ads falling under the unhealthy category.
- Surrogate tobacco ads were heavily targeted, with 86.7% aired during India’s matches.
- 60.6% of unhealthy ads promoted products commonly consumed by children, such as chocolates, chips, noodles, and biscuits.
- An estimated 422 million viewers in India were exposed to these ads.
- Celebrity endorsements were common, with 17.5% featuring Bollywood actors and 17% featuring cricket stars.
Children Most at Risk
The study flagged children as the most vulnerable group, with frequent exposure to high-fat, sugary, and salty food promotions during match breaks. Researchers highlighted that while India has strong laws like the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) 2003 and the Cable Television Network Regulation Act 1995 that prohibit direct advertisements of tobacco and alcohol, companies are bypassing these laws through surrogate advertising on digital platforms.
Dr. Shalini Singh, senior author and director of ICMR-NICPR, stated, “This is a public health crisis hiding in plain sight. With 422 million people exposed, we must act now. The digital ecosystem lacks clear regulation, allowing companies to exploit these gaps and endanger public health.”
Urgent Call for Policy Action
The study’s authors have called for:
- Immediate policy interventions and regulatory updates to cover OTT and digital platforms
- Stronger enforcement against surrogate advertising
- Specific safeguards for children to limit their exposure
- Monitoring mechanisms for non-compliance by OTT platforms
Experts believe that without urgent reforms, commercial interests will continue to undermine public health goals—especially as India works toward reducing premature deaths from NCDs by 25% by 2025.
