Gambling Ads Shown On Screen for 32% of Premier League Highlights

A new study has found that adverts promoting gambling brands are on screen for nearly a third of the air time of Premier League highlights.

Researchers at the University of Nottingham found that Sky Sports’ EPL highlights on their YouTube channel showed betting operator logos for 32%, on average, of the entire run time of each video.

Around 80% of children aged 3-17 use YouTube, so they – and vulnerable adults – are being subjected to gambling ads at a time when the Premier League has attempted to cut back on such exposure.

Premier League vs World Cup

The study is thought to be the first to analyse the rate at which viewers are being subjected to what the University of Nottingham describes as ‘unhealthy commodity branding’.

Gambling is a chief pillar of that definition, accounting for nearly all of the unhealthy commodity branding displayed in the YouTube footage – all told, 38% of the run time of Sky Sports’ EPL highlights packages showed ads for firms categorised in such a way.

The connection between the Premier League and gambling is further evidenced by the same research for the 2026 World Cup, which revealed that while 19% of match highlights shown on FIFA’s YouTube channel had unhealthy commodity branding displayed, only 2% of that could be attributed to betting companies.

Front of Shirt Sponsor Ban

Perhaps most alarming is that the exposure to gambling ads in the Premier League can only partially be attributed to front-of-shirt sponsorships.

Researchers discovered that 75% of the ads shown were largely made up of promotional messages on pitch side advertising boards and LED signage – the remaining 25% came courtesy of shirt sponsors.

The Premier League has enacted a voluntary ban on front-of-shirt gambling logos as of the new 2026/27 season, however betting firms are still allowed to sponsor shirt sleeves and shorts – with no veto on advertising on pitch side hoardings either.

Huge YouTube Audience

So the likelihood is that the sponsor ban will only have a small impact on the number of children and adults being exposed to gambling marketing on TV broadcasts and YouTube highlights reels.

And those numbers are alarming. As well as the huge YouTube audience amongst the younger generation, Sky Sports’ Premier League highlights videos draw a massive amount of views – one game that was played during the University of Nottingham’s study period saw nearly 670,000 people watch Aston Villa defeat Manchester City on the final day of the 2025/26 season.

Research leader Nathan Davies said: “As the new season kicks off, the scale of potential exposure is substantial. Gambling adverts ran before most highlights.

“Gambling branding was on screen for a third of the highlights we analysed, and only around a quarter of those appearances were on the front of shirts. That leaves the great majority of gambling exposure in football coverage untouched.”

Nottingham Forest and Boyle Sports Deal

While the University of Nottingham rallies against gambling ads in the Premier League, the city’s premier football club has an opposing few.

Nottingham Forest has announced this week that it has penned a deal with BOYLE Sports, which will see the Irish firm become their official betting partner.

As part of the agreement, BOYLE Sports will have an advertising presence on LED signage at pitch side of Forest’s home stadium, the City Ground.

They will be joined amongst the ranks at the Tricky Trees by Bally’s Intralot. The betting, casino and lottery operator, which agreed a buyout of the Evoke Group earlier this summer, is the official sleeve sponsor of Nottingham Forest.

Three other Premier League clubs have a gambling firm as a sleeve sponsor:

• Aston Villa (Betano)
• Bournemouth (Mr Q)
• Everton (Stake)