The NBA & PepsiCo Renew Their Sponsorship Deal Prior To The All-Star Weekend
The National Basketball Association (NBA) and PepsiCo agreed on a multi-year extension of their marketing partnership. The deal sees PepsiCo maintain its title as the official soft drink and potato chip of the NBA, the Women’s Basketball Association (WNBA), and G-League (the NBA’s official minor league) development competition.
Per the agreement, PepsiCo’s MTN Dew soft drink brand keeps its title sponsorship of the three-point contest during the NBA’s All-Star weekend, which is taking place this week at the Atlanta State Farm Arena. During the contest, MTN Dew plans to announce a newly created scholarship fund which will award two students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities $100,000 each.
Additionally, Ruffles, PepsiCo’s potato chip brand, airs its first television commercial in over a decade during the All-Star Game Sunday. The commercial will feature Los Angeles Lakers player Anthony Davis and rapper T-Pain.
“Since partnering with PepsiCo in 2015, we’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with the talented teams across their portfolio of brands, finding new and innovative ways to bring our partnership to life,” stated Lauren Sullivan, the NBA’s vice president of global partnerships.
As part of the new deal, Ruffles is now the title partner of the All-Star Celebrity Game that is not being held this year due to coronavirus.
“The game, the players and hoops culture carry such influence with fans that we can’t imagine a better opportunity for us to continue integrating our food and beverage brands,” stated Justin Toman, PepsiCo’s head of sports marketing. “Through our roster of NBA and WNBA players, key platforms such as the MTN DEW 3-Point Contest and other activations throughout the season, we will continue to bring fans closer to the game and the hoops lifestyle they know and love.”
PepsiCo first teamed up with the NBA in 2015 when the league ended its 28-year partnership with Coco-Cola. The terms of the deal, which was first announced by Forbes, have not yet been disclosed.
