English Audio Request

Topic: Nowadays, sports stars can earn a great deal of money from advertising expensive sporting goods and other products. What problems might this cause? Do you think this is a positive or negative development?

Model answer:

Sports and advertising are now very closely linked. Thus, when we think of famous sports stars, we often inevitably think of the brand of clothing they wear. This can cause problems but also has a positive effect.

Once they reach a certain level, sports stars or teams are offered generous sponsorship deals. This means that they receive large sums of money in return for advertising different companies. They are given these contracts because of their fans, many of whom are very young and want to copy them. As the products they endorse tend to be luxury goods, or expensive sports equipment, this puts pressure on families to spend money they may not have. Moreover, the most popular sports are now associated with advertisements for betting and gambling, and many people are concerned about the impact this has on young sports fans. Thus, the problems connected to such advertising should not be overlooked.

On the other hand, there are several positive effects. Firstly, without advertising, it is unlikely that we would have the level of sport that exists today. Sponsorships allow modern-day sportsmen and women to focus on their sport instead of juggling practice with a more traditional job. This is turn encourages more young people to play sport, and gives those who are talented enough a chance to turn their passion into a lucrative career. In fact, there have been several cases in football where children from very poor areas have transformed their lives thanks to sport. Therefore, there are clear benefits for sport and sports professionals.

In conclusion, advertising sponsorships allow sports people and sport itself to thrive. Although the type of products that can be advertised do need regulation, on the whole, I believe this is a positive development.