PepsiCo and Coca‑Cola led sports sponsorship spending of the non-alcoholic beverages sector in the Americas in 2025 to grow their reach and stay competitive. They also signed the most deals, helping them test new ideas and scale what works. PepsiCo spent the most overall, continuing major long‑term partnerships with the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL. Coca‑Cola was the most active brand in terms of the number of sponsorships across the region, reveals GlobalData, a leading intelligence and productivity platform.

GlobalData’s latest report, “Sponsorship Sector Report – Non-Alcoholic Beverages – Americas 2026,” reveals that in 2025, soft drinks remain the dominant sub-sector, but energy drinks brands’ partnerships are growing at a faster rate. The largest deal in 2025 across the region was the NBA’s deal with PepsiCo. Smaller brands mainly joined through fewer, lower‑value agreements.

Olivia Snooks, Sport Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Despite Coca-Cola and PepsiCo’s dominance, smaller brands are expanding their sports sponsorship portfolios across the region at a faster rate. LaCroix, Maurten, and Black Rifle Coffee are increasing spending at very high rates, albeit from relatively low starting levels. Energy drinks remain a major presence with steady growth since 2020, Red Bull and Monster continue to increase spending, but at moderate rates consistent with well-established involvement in sports.”

In 2025, North American non-alcoholic beverage brands secured the largest sponsorship rights by focusing on major leagues and top team partnerships that deliver broad, consistent exposure and support national retail and distribution goals. In contrast, European non-alcoholic beverage brands chose a wider mix of mid-sized sponsorships to build coverage across the Americas while reducing the cost and risk of depending on a single high-profile property.

Snooks continues: “Conversely, Middle East and Africa-based brands had a limited sponsorship presence in the Americas in 2025, which indicates opportunistic rather than strategic activity. There is only one active Middle East-based deal: A1R Water, a UAE-linked brand using a US sports sponsorship to support its US expansion ahead of a planned listing.”

In 2025, non-alcoholic beverage brands focused on basketball, American football, and soccer. This is because these sports reach a lot of people and have many games throughout the year, creating chances for fans to enjoy drinks while they watch. Soccer is especially strong across the Americas with younger, multicultural fans. In Brazil and Argentina, soccer is more than a sport – it is part of national identity and community, which creates deep loyalty across generations.

Snooks concludes: “The average deal values differ between sports, with some sports offering big, exclusive partnerships, while other sell smaller, flexible options. US college sport’s average deal value is higher because brands can get exclusivity, pouring rights, and campus/name, image, and likeness (NIL) promotions—like the NCAA’s deal with Coca-Cola.”