The National Football League’s Philadelphia Eagles have reinstated Pepsi as its official soft drink partner after an eight-year absence, in the process parting ways with chief Pepsi rival Coca-Cola.
In a new seven-year agreement, Pepsi, along with its Gatorade and Frito-Lay brands, will hold the team’s exclusive rights for soft drink, sports performance drink, energy drink, freshly squeezed juice with the exception of lemonade, vegetable juice, and salty snack categories.
Prominent within the deal are plans to rename the Eagles’ interactive fan zone at Lincoln Financial Field to the Pepsi Plaza. The 100,000-square-foot space had been previously known as HeadHouse Plaza. Financial terms were not disclosed.
That move, however, is clearly a long-term play as it remains uncertain at best whether the Eagles will be permitted to have any attending fans in the 2020 season due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Pepsi previously had been with the Eagles when they moved into Lincoln Financial Field in 2003.
“Since 1909, Pepsi has been part of the Pennsylvania community – we have a core, engaged fan base and strong share in the Philadelphia market, and we are driven by a desire to connect locally with our consumers and communities,” said Richard Tompkins, president of North Division-PepsiCo Beverages North America. “There was no better way to do this than through a renewed strategic partnership with the Eagles.
The Eagles’ soft drink brand shift is the inverse of one for the neighboring Wells Fargo Center and National Hockey League’s Philadelphia Flyers, which last year ended a 23-year tie with Pepsi and signed with Coca-Cola.
Pepsi is also the official soft drink of the NFL.
“The foundation of our long-term partnership centers around shared values, including innovation and a commitment to our fans,” said Eagles president Smolenski of the Pepsi deal. “Through these unifying efforts, we’re excited to enhance the gameday experience at Lincoln Financial Field with the debut of Pepsi Plaza, and also look forward to offering new and unique promotions to Eagles fans everywhere to celebrate their passion and loyalty.”
