IELTS Writing Task 2: Sports Sponsorships
Many companies sponsor sports as a way of advertising themselves. Some people think this is good for the world of sport, while others think it is a negative.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
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, this a positive 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 guarantees 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. It is regardless important for leagues to balance competing ethical, economic, and entertainment priorities.
VOCABULARY
- influence effect
- multinational companies international corporations
- sponsorship deals paying to use representatives from a sport or to have your logo associated with the team
- harmful effect negative impact
- creates potential conflicts of interest causes possible thorny ethical problems
- positive situation overall good in general
- funds the sports industry supports sports
- growing primacy more and more important
- problematic causes problems
- precipitates starts/causes
- ethical dilemma moral choice
- corporate entities companies
- linked closely connected deeply
- poor human rights records don’t have rights for their citizens
- endorsed by supported by
- morally bankrupt ownership owners without ethics
- signed various lucrative sponsorships contracted to work together
- difficult position tough spot
- league executive high up official
- expressed support said he was in favour of
- independence movement fighting for freedom
- backtrack amid pressure take back what was said because of threats
- boycotts not buying
- nonetheless regardless
- key part important piece
- viewing experience watching the sport
- come to expect now feel entitled to
- slightly annoying at best a little irritating in the best case scenario
- allow leagues let sporting federations
- make games widely available everyone can watch them
- guarantees the salaries makes it sure they can pay a lot
- major television networks big TV stations
- distributors those who broadcast the games
- owners those who own the teams
- viable option possible choice
- do not operate in a vacuum are always in a context
- banned not allowed
- switch change to
- therefore thus
- unavoidable can’t be stopped
- crucial prerequisite key requirement
- outweigh stronger than
- pernicious impact negative effect
- balance competing keep in perspective conflicting
- ethical moral
- economic related to money
- priorities interests
