With sport becoming increasingly commercialized, sponsorships have taken over professional sports. In this article, alcohol and tobacco sponsorships will be the subject of this article. Sports sponsorship has become an important marketing tool for advertisers due to the flexibility, broad reach, and high level of brand or company visibility it offers (Krapp, 49). However, some sponsors have caused a stir in society, especially alcohol and tobacco products. These two make up about half of the sponsorship in professional sports today. Sports sponsorship has existed since the creation of professional sport in the late 19th century. It's not a new topic, but it has become a controversial issue over the past twenty years. Because tobacco companies are under close government and societal scrutiny, their sponsorship of sporting events has also been questioned over their effect on American youth. Sponsorships are useful as a supplement to regular advertising; however, they are particularly useful as advertising substitutes in situations where advertising may be prohibited or limited. Sports sponsorship offers the opportunity to reach audiences in four distinct ways: (1) during pre-promotional and event advertising, (2) at the event location during the event itself, (3) during the live or delayed broadcast of the event, and (4) during the post-event news reporting the results of the event. Every time the sporting event is mentioned or shown in the media, there is an opportunity for the event sponsor to gain visibility (Krapp, 50). Alcohol and tobacco companies benefit greatly. They sponsor sporting events or pay to have their advertising in certain arenas and sports stadiums for this very reason. Multiple possibilities to show your brand or company name on television or among the people present at the sporting event. However, by having these advertisements in arenas or stadiums, the alcohol or tobacco company is not forced to post notices with its advertisement as it must do with its own products and advertisements in publications. Significant brand exposure can be achieved through event advertising, pre-promotion, on-site signage and telecast of the event, but unlike conventional advertising, it is not mandatory to include health warnings or moderation messages (Locke , 224). Several beer companies are heavily involved in sports sponsorship, owning or sponsoring Major League Baseball teams. For example, Anheuser-Busch owns the St. Louis Cardinals, Coors has an ownership position with the Colorado Rockies, and Canadian brewer Labatt owns the Toronto Blue Jays.