The two parties have enjoyed a relationship for 28 years and although exact terms of the new agreement have not been disclosed, The Wall Street Journal reported that the contract would run for 10 years through the 2022 play-offs and be worth up to US$2.3 billion. If such a figure is accurate, it would make the partnership, which begins in 2012, one of the most lucrative ever struck.
Under the terms of the agreement, Pepsi will continue its sponsorship of the NFL International Series, which will take place in London for a fifth consecutive year on October 23 when the Chicago Bears take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Wembley Stadium. PepsiCo’s Gatorade, Pepsi Max, Frito-Lay, Quaker Oats and Tropicana brands will also receive exposure through the NFL. Pepsi Max has retained its role as the official soft drink of the NFL while Gatorade will continue to support athletes via the Gatorade G Series and will back education programs such as ‘Beat the Heat’.
Quaker Oats and Tropicana will become new partners of the League next year, and reports have suggested that each brand will invest at least $15 million per year. Gatorade has been an NFL sponsor since the 1980s, but Pepsi only secured the headline NFL sponsorship in 2002 from rival Coca-Cola, which had held the rights for nearly two decades. In announcing the new deal, PepsiCo and the NFL pledged to “jointly develop digital fan engagement concepts”.
“We love to be at the centre of the NFL action and look forward to deepening the NFL's relationship with athletes and fans through best-in-class marketing, food and beverage innovation and retail experiences,” said PepsiCo chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi. “The NFL is a year-round platform allowing us to engage and activate our collective brands in a true Power of One way like never before.”
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, speaking ahead of the start of the new season this weekend, added that the League would collaborate with PepsiCo on “making our partnership even better to deliver fans more NFL-themed promotions and programs throughout the season and year”.
