Pepsi love for football is undeniable. In fact, the recent campaigns by the beverages behemoth are centralized on sponsorships of football events and star players. However, to reach out to the diverse fanbases in the sports’ industry, Pepsi cuts corporate deals with other sports besides football.

For instance, in 2015, PepsiCo announced a big win over its adversary. The seizing of the NBA sponsorship ended Coca-Cola’s nearly 30-year run.

PepsiCo’s involvement in corporate partnerships with sports rather football is a marketing strategy intended to reach out to diverse markets globally. PepsiCo penetration of pop culture through sports is incomparable. As a title sponsor for most games and sporting events, Pepsi has billion of eyes around the world on its products for days, weeks, months, or even years.

Some of Pepsi’s best ever commercials are football related such as the recent Pepsi MAX “Live it. Love it. Football” campaign, “The Football Warriors” iconic commercial, the Beckham & All-Stars football team vs. SUMOS, and the Surf’s Up.

Pepsi made a sponsorship bow in Ice Hockey

In the 1960s, Pepsi-Cola sponsored The Buffalo Bisons, an American Hockey League team. The team and the league adopted Pepsi trademark red, white, and blue colors to date with modification of the logo.

The Bisons ceased operations in 1970, making way for the Buffalo Sabres, but retained the corporate partnership with Pepsi.

Other Sports Sponsorships

Pepsi and Coca-Cola wars intensify in the sports arena. Interchanging of sponsorship deals between the two soft drinks giants is a common occurrence. Each company is looking for a share in the big leagues. In 2017, PepsiCo ended its sponsorship of the Major League Baseball that started in 1997.

Throughout the 20-year period, Coke held the most individual team deals, but Pepsi had league rights and access to MLB’s digital and social media channels.

Coca-Cola seized the opportunity to become the league’s official soft drink sponsor once Pepsi opted out.

Pepsi retains sponsorship of some of the teams and players in the current American League. In 2017, Pepsi signed Aaron Judge, the AL rookie of the year, to a multiyear endorsement deal whose terms remain undisclosed.

PepsiCo has a number of active sponsorship deals with other different sports teams and leagues.

Pepsi spends some US$6 million a year sponsoring the International Cricket Council (ICC) and had a highly visible presence at the 20^th World Cup cricket tournament in England. Consequently, Britvic, the soft drinks company that owns the UK and Ireland franchises of Pepsi recorded a 5.9% increase in sales and saw its revenues for fizzy drinks rise by 14.4%.

Pepsi has also extended its involvement in ICC to individual national teams. The company ended its sponsorship deal with the Indian Premier League. However, it is still actively involved with Pakistani national cricket team.

In 2016, PepsiCo bagged a four-year contract to become a ground sponsor for all one-day international and test matches of cricket to be played in India.

PepsiCo also owns naming rights to sporting arenas such as the Pepsi Center, an indoor sports facility in Denver, Colorado.

It has been in a long-term contract with Jeff Gordon since 1997, in a demonstration of a rare presence in car racing sports. Jeff Gordon is retired NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver currently serving as Fox NASCAR announcer. Their car has Pepsi logos and features different paint schemes in each of the 2 races they participate in every year.

PepsiCo’s engagement in the Super Bowl, which features NFL teams, is another of the company’s elite sport sponsorship deals.

However, Pepsi’s recent partnership with the NBA is what makes it the beverage king of sports sponsorships. The National Basketball Association and PepsiCo announced the new marketing partnership that replaces the rival Coca-Cola as lead food and beverage partner of the league.

The deal stretches as far as China, where Pepsi partner Tingyi’s Master Kong will earn enhanced exposure.

It also incorporates promotion of Pepsi products throughout the WNBA, NBA Development League and USA Basketball. The Pepsi-owned Mountain Dew brand will be highlighted throughout the deal, with signage and branding featuring the new NBA 3-on-3 programming and events.