Many believe that the influence of multinational companies on sports through sponsorship deals has a harmful effect. In my opinion, while advertising creates potential conflicts of interest, situation overall as it funds the sports industry.
The growing primacy of sponsorships in sports can be problematic when it precipitates an ethical dilemma. In recent years, many Middle Eastern corporate entities linked closely to governments with poor human rights records such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar have purchased and are now endorsed by major footballing leagues and teams. This raises the question of whether such leagues should accept morally bankrupt ownership. A similar example was seen in the NBA recently, which has signed various lucrative sponsorships with Chinese companies and was put in a difficult position when a league executive expressed support for the independence movement in Hong Kong. The league was forced to backtrack amid pressure of boycotts from China.
Nonetheless, advertising is a key part of the viewing experience fans have come to expect. The advertisements themselves are slightly annoying at best, but they allow leagues to make games widely available to watch and the salaries of the best players. Most games, whether it be football, basketball, tennis or another sport, can be viewed for free on major television networks or online. Advertising allows the distributors and owners to earn enough for this to be a viable option. Moreover, leagues do not operate in a vacuum. If one league banned all advertising, then players would simply switch to play somewhere else where salaries are higher. Advertising is therefore an unavoidable, crucial prerequisite to having the top players.
In conclusion, the fan benefits outweigh the pernicious impact of sponsorship deals in sport. for leagues to balance competing ethical, economic, and entertainment priorities.