Some call it a “stupid ban.” Birken boss Jostein Buraas wonders if participants will now have to show ID at the food stations. But the reality is serious: a new Norwegian government ban could cost Birken and other major events millions of kroner in lost revenue.

The Norwegian Sports Federation, the Norwegian Football Federation, and the Norwegian Sponsor and Event Association met this week with Minister of Health and Care, Jan Christian Vestre. The purpose of the meeting was to get the necessary clarifications on the regulations for marketing unhealthy food and drink.

Birken’s managing director, Jostein Buraas, is not impressed.

“If you exaggerate a little, it now means that you’ll have to show ID at the food stations along the course,” Buraas told gd.no.

He shares his concerns with his predecessor, Tone Lien, who is now the head of the Norway Cup.

The reason is the government’s new ban on marketing unhealthy food and drink to children under 18. With Red Bull and other energy drink companies serving as major sponsors of many sports events, organizers are now wondering how this will be enforced.

Could lose millions

In the worst case, they may lose these sponsors, which would mean millions in lost income.

“I choose to believe that the intention is good—that children and young people should be shielded from unhealthy products. But I don’t think they’ve seen the big picture. For our main event, participants can join from the year they turn 16. We’re talking about thousands of participants under 18. It’s not responsible to send them across the mountain without sports drink replenishment,” said Buraas.

Birken has, among others, Maxim as a sponsor, and they naturally expect visibility at the events. Now the organizers fear million-krona losses, and such lost income could be the difference between profit and deficit.

The Norway Cup, where most participants are under 18 and where sports drinks and similar products make up a significant share of sponsorship revenue, is even more concerned.

The Sponsor and Event Association shares the concerns. Its CEO, Bodil Sveen Berggren, believes a loss of income here could lead to higher participation fees and fewer events, in addition to increased costs for organizers.

The story continues below.

A “stupid ban”

Politicians themselves also disagree on how the new ban should be understood and enforced.

“A stupid ban,” says Progress Party representative Tor André Johansen, who believes parents and young people should decide for themselves.

Sponsors are also uncertain. Some may wait and see how this plays out.

And as Buraas asks: Will participants really need to show ID to get a drink during Birken? Along the course, organizers serve sports drinks and Pepsi, as well as smoothies for the youngest and potato chips at the finish line. All of these are on the ban list, which will be clarified on October 25.

“Maxim is our biggest partner for sports drinks, and a big part of the sponsorship is visibility. If we lose them, we’ll have to buy the products ourselves. That amounts to big sums, and in the worst case, we’re talking about losing millions. It could mean the difference between profit and loss for Birken,” Buraas told gd.no.

Politicians divided

Earlier this year, Health Minister Jan Christian Vestre said in a press release:

“We want children and young people to have good health, and it should be easy to make healthy choices in everyday life. The government is implementing this measure because we are committed to protecting our children and their health.”

He probably wasn’t thinking about exhausted Birkebeiners longing for a drink in the middle of the mountains.

And politicians will undoubtedly continue to debate this. Progress Party’s Johansen said:

“The consequence of such symbolic ‘stupid bans’ is that young people won’t care about or follow the ban, sports will lose money, which in turn means the public sector will have to spend more on sports, which again could mean higher taxes or fees for ordinary people. The proposal is simply poorly thought out.”

He believes Birken and similar events should get an exemption, but that the best solution is to drop the entire proposal.

Constructive meeting with health authorities

The situation, however, is more nuanced. On Thursday, the Sports Federation, Football Federation, and Sponsor and Event Association met with Health Minister Vestre. The purpose was to get necessary clarifications on the regulations.

“It was a constructive meeting. We experienced that the health authorities showed a real willingness to clarify the new rules, that this work will start quickly, and that the parties are now invited to provide concrete input to the regulations. There will also be follow-up meetings between the parties in the near future,” said Sports President Zaineb Al-Samarai in a press release.

The government has stated clearly that the new marketing ban should not negatively affect sports and non-profit organizations.

The Sports President pointed out that today there is significant uncertainty about what organizers and sponsors are actually allowed to do, and that a clear and general understanding of what a sponsorship entails is needed.

“The expectations from our sponsors are very different now than they were a few years ago and go beyond traditional logo exposure. Access to discounted or free products is often a key condition in sponsorship deals. This helps sports clubs generate income by reselling products at kiosks or handing them out to volunteers and participants,” said Al-Samarai.

“For us, it was therefore important to highlight some ambiguities in the regulation and guidance that have caused this uncertainty,” she continued.

Al-Samarai also called for clarification to ensure that the exemption for sports and non-profits has a broader scope than the current interpretation suggests.

“The exemption must ensure that all organized sports based on volunteerism are covered. The regulation should also not impose requirements preventing sports organizations from offering goods or services, or otherwise restrict models that enable sports to establish practical organizational structures,” she said.

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