Polish beer advertising ban threatens sponsorship as alcohol-free sales rise

Parliament considers comprehensive restrictions

Poland's parliament is working on amendments to the law on sobriety and preventing alcoholism that would prohibit advertising and promotion of all alcoholic beverages, including beer. Separate proposals submitted by The Left and Poland 2050 are being considered together, with The Left's bill serving as the lead text. The restrictions would also apply to alcohol-free beer sold under the same brands as alcoholic products.

Supporters say tighter controls are needed to reduce young people's exposure to alcohol marketing. PKB24 reported that the National Centre for Counteracting Addictions estimates the annual social and economic costs of alcohol consumption in Poland at 93.3 billion zlotys. The proposal's backers also cite a recommendation from the World Health Organization to ban or comprehensively restrict alcohol advertising, sponsorship and promotion.

Sponsorship contracts face an uncertain future

Breweries and their partners warn that the ban could remove funding from professional sport, regional clubs, festivals and municipal events. The Polish Brewers employers' association estimates the measure's total economic impact at no less than 700 million zlotys annually. According to an Institute of Sports Law estimate cited by Portal Spożywczy and PKB24, Polish sport could lose as much as 100 million zlotys per year.

The exposure extends from major football clubs to local youth programs. Legia Warsaw's partnership with the Królewskie brand began in 2004 and has been extended through 2029, while Lech Poznań has worked with Lech Pils for more than 14 years. Grupa Żywiec supports KS Góral 1956 Żywiec, which provides free football and weightlifting activities for about 250 athletes. GKS Tychy extended its agreement with Tyskie for the 2026/2027 season.

Municipalities could also face higher costs. Sierpc's annual Kasztelański Festival of Taste has a title sponsorship agreement with the Carlsberg Polska-owned Kasztelan brewery worth several hundred thousand zlotys. Mayor Jarosław Perzyński told Newseria that replacing the brewer would require several sponsors. Without that money, the city might have to shorten the festival to one day, reduce its program or cover more of the cost itself.

Alcohol-free growth contrasts with market contraction

The regulatory debate comes during an eighth consecutive year of contraction in Poland's beer market. Between 2018 and 2025, market volume fell by more than 7.5 million hectolitres. Sales of alcoholic beer declined 11.9% year on year in the first half of 2026, according to figures cited by Portal Spożywczy. About 85,000 jobs across agriculture, production, retail, hospitality and logistics are connected to the industry.

Alcohol-free beer is moving in the opposite direction. Bizblog, citing Statistics Poland, reported that sold production of 0.0% beer increased 16.2% year on year in the first half of 2026 and 30.1% in June alone. Consumers bought about 2 million hectolitres in 2025, when the segment reached 1.823 billion zlotys and represented 8.1% of the beer market by value.

A separate tax change adds price pressure

The government has also approved a VAT proposal affecting qualifying alcohol-free beers, wines and ciders containing at least 20% fruit or vegetable juice. Under the plan, the retail rate would rise from 5% to 23%, and the food-service rate from 8% to 23%, from 1 January 2027. Bizblog calculated that a product priced at 5 zlotys gross would cost about 5.86 zlotys if its net price remained unchanged. Polish Brewers says it may challenge the rules before the Court of Justice of the European Union if they are adopted in their current form. Together, the advertising and tax proposals could limit the industry's ability to promote the only beer category currently expanding while traditional volumes continue to fall.