Free TV responds to ACMA alcohol advertising review – Free TV Australia says it will consider the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s recommendations on alcohol advertising. It will do so during the next revision of the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice.
The industry body welcomed the conclusion of the ACMA review and said the next Code revision would include public consultation. The regulator rejected a blanket ban on alcohol advertising on commercial television.
The outcome matters to viewers because advertising revenue helps fund the news, sport and Australian entertainment carried by free-to-air networks. Free TV argues that any further restrictions should be evidence-based and should address digital platforms as well as local broadcasters.
ACMA rejects blanket alcohol advertising ban
According to Free TV, the ACMA found a ban would be a blunt instrument with uncertain outcomes. The industry group said the regulator also recognised that a ban could impose significant costs on broadcasters. It could also shift advertising towards online platforms that face different rules.
Free TV said commercial television remains one of Australia’s most tightly regulated environments for alcohol advertising. It pointed to the absence of any code-compliant complaint assessed by the ACMA about alcohol advertising on broadcast television between January 2024 and August 2026.
Digital media accounts for most ABAC breaches
The release also highlighted 2025 figures from the Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code scheme. Free TV said digital media appeared in 82 per cent of ABAC determinations. It accounted for 94 per cent of breaches.
By comparison, broadcast television represented 5 per cent of determinations and recorded no breaches, according to the figures cited by Free TV.
The industry body argues that commercial television already carries a heavier regulatory burden than global digital platforms competing for the same audiences and advertisers. It warned that imposing additional restrictions only on local broadcasters could widen that gap.
Sport exposure extends beyond television advertising
The ACMA review also considered alcohol exposure connected with televised sport. Free TV said the review recognised that much of this exposure comes from material outside a broadcaster’s direct control, including stadium signage, team apparel and venue assets.
The industry body supports the ACMA’s call for the Australian Government to address alcohol marketing across all platforms. It opposes concentrating further regulation on broadcast television alone.
Free TV will consider recommendations during Code review
Chief Executive Officer Bridget Fair said the commercial television sector’s compliance record demonstrated that broadcasters took their responsibilities seriously.
Free-to-air television takes its responsibilities to Australian audiences seriously, and our compliance record shows it.
The evidence is clear that alcohol marketing problems sit overwhelmingly on digital platforms, not on free-to-air television. Yet once again, it is local broadcasters who face the prospect of further restrictions while global platforms continue largely unregulated.
Every new restriction on free-to-air television makes it harder to keep investing in the Australian news, sport and local stories that audiences depend on. That is the real cost of regulating one part of the market and ignoring the rest.
We will work through the ACMA’s recommendations carefully as part of our Code review, and continue to argue for proportionate, evidence-based settings that apply across all platforms.
Bridget Fair, Chief Executive Officer, Free TV Australia
The public consultation will help shape how the Code treats the ACMA recommendations. Free TV represents Seven Media Group, Nine Entertainment Co, Network 10, WIN Network and Imparja Television.
For more industry coverage, read TV Central’s report on commercial television’s investment in Australian programming. Visit Free TV Australia for more information about the industry body.