Sportswashing: exploiting sports to clean the dirty laundry

Abstract

Sportswashing became a current media topic in the run-up to and during the Qatar 2022 Men’s FIFA World Cup. However, there is no consensus on what the term means, and there is limited research on the effects of sportswashing. This paper systematically develops a clear and concise definition of sportswashing that demarcates it from other marketing concepts. Sportswashing is defined as the deliberate attempt by an entity to exploit a sports property to counteract negative information. Furthermore, the paper draws on advertising theory to develop two frameworks that aim to explain how sportswashing works from the sportswasher’s and individual’s perspectives. The paper demonstrates that advertising theory is an important lens for further exploration of sportswashing and proposes an exciting agenda for further research.