Across the Americas region (North America, South America, Central America, and the Caribbean), American football has by far the greatest value in sponsorship with alcoholic beverages brands and is staggeringly $388.83 million ahead of baseball in terms of revenue. The major contributor to this is Bud Light’s deal with the National Football League (NFL), worth an estimated $300 million annually, reveals GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

GlobalData’s latest report, “Sponsorship Sector Report – Alcoholic Beverages Americas 2023,” includes a look at the main active brands in the Americas region as well as movement in the sector over the last few years in the sport sponsorship industry.

Olivia Snooks, Sport Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Alcoholic beverages have become a staple within the sport sponsorship landscape, especially in the Americas region. Bud Light’s deal with the NFL is staggeringly superior to any of the other deals in the sector. As the deal sees Bud Light as the exclusive beer of the NFL, the beer has extensive coverage and exposure.”

Most alcoholic beverage brands’ spend in the Americas region is driven by the US-based brands. Outside of the Americas, Heineken and the Dutch brewer are the leading alcoholic beverages brands. One of Heineken’s most lucrative deals is with Major League Soccer (MLS), an increasingly popular sport in the Americas region, specifically North America.

Snooks continues: “Soccer has become increasingly popular in America, and with MLS being the top level of men’s professional soccer in the US, it is one of the country’s most popular leagues. Heineken, being the top beer brand outside of the Americas, has certainly focused its sponsorship portfolio beyond the top American sports, including basketball, baseball and American football. Its top deals include soccer, motor racing and tennis.”

The most popular sports in the Americas dominate the alcoholic beverages sponsorship portfolio, including American football, basketball, baseball, and ice hockey. Sport is a huge part of everyday life and given the size and revenues by the world’s most popular alcoholic beverages, this sector accounts for some of the biggest sponsorship deals across the Americas. The deals include some of the most profitable sports leagues and highly recognised federations across the world.

Snooks concludes: “Alcoholic beverage brands are one of the biggest players in sports sponsorship. These brands partnership utilize high-profile sport to promote their products and capitalize on people’s connections with their favorite teams, players, and events. And one of the best ways to promote their products is through televised sports events, like the NFL and NBA.”