TLDR
Sportsbet deleted AI-generated videos of AFL players on 13 October 2026 after the AFL instructed it to stop, following a written complaint from the AFL Players' Association. The videos placed player likenesses into lines from films and TV shows without consent. The case draws a consent line for any sponsor using generative video of real athletes.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
What Sportsbet posted
The posts placed AFL players into popular cultural moments they never participated in. One video used Lachie Neale's likeness to mimic Snoop Dogg's 2018 'I want to thank me' award speech. Another put Will Ashcroft's face and voice to a line from the US crime drama Ozark.[1] Neither player approved the content.
The AFL Players' Association (AFLPA) wrote to the AFL the week before 14 October 2026. The AFL then instructed Sportsbet to cease using the videos and delete all existing posts. Sportsbet complied on Tuesday 13 October 2026, after being contacted about the material.[1]
The consent framework already in place
The AFLPA argued the videos breached its collective bargaining agreement with the AFL, which restricts how league partners can use player images.[1]
Alex Taverner, the AFLPA's general manager of legal affairs, has said AI-generated player imagery is not permitted without the players' approval.[1]
An AFL spokesperson said the league would stay close to the issue. The spokesperson said the AFL would continue to work closely with its partners on the use of AI content and would continue to do so as the technology evolves.[2]
What sponsors and agencies need to check
The federal government has legislated to ban athletes from appearing in gambling ads, with the rules taking effect next year, Guardian Australia reported.[1] For bookmakers, the consent question disappears once that applies. For every other sponsor category, it stays open.
For brands outside wagering, the Sportsbet case is a worked example of how quickly a creative execution becomes a legal exposure. The AFLPA pointed to an agreement already in force, and the content came down within days. Any agency holding a talent agreement drafted before generative AI became a production tool should check whether that agreement covers synthetic likenesses, AI-generated voice and third-party platform distribution.
SOURCES & CITATIONS
Xaviery Malinao writes for Prompt the Market on how brands and agencies are adapting to answer engines, drawing on Bushnote's work with clients across search, AI search and content.
