NFL, Diageo agree to comprehensive sponsorship deal

Diageo and the NFL have completed a comprehensive spirits marketing pact, which will be the league’s first sponsorship in that category. Sources said that Diageo gets exclusivity across spirits broadly, but the sponsorship will be used to market three main Diageo brands: Smirnoff vodka, Captain Morgan flavored rum and Crown Royal whiskey. Since the NFL allowed its teams to sell spirits sponsorships, Diageo has been a heavy buyer. Last season, it had 11 deals across the league, almost all supporting Crown Royal. The exceptions were with the Washington Football Team sponsorship, which was tied to Ciroc vodka, and for the Raiders, where it supported Casamigos tequila. Spirits brands have been allowed to advertise on NFL game telecasts since '17, though they are limited to four per game.

Sources said the Diageo deal has been in the works since last year and noted the presence of senior Diageo execs at the Super Bowl in Tampa in February. One agency source estimated the all-in cost at $30M per year, with around half of that being rights fees. Even that hefty price does not get Diageo access to advertising in the Super Bowl; Anheuser-Busch InBev has long held advertising exclusivity on what is perennially the most-watched TV broadcast of any year.

As is usually the case, NFL league sponsorships are done after other big properties and for larger dollars. Nonetheless, the other big domestic sports properties have had spirits sponsorships for some time. Crown Royal signed with NASCAR in '05. Hennessy cognac has been the NBA’s official spirit since early '20, but Bacardi signed on as the NBA’s first corporate spirits sponsor in '10, followed by Diageo, Jack Daniels and now Hennessy. New Amsterdam Vodka and Jägermeister have been NHL sponsors since '18. Evan Williams bourbon has MLB rights and Captain Morgan is an MLS league sponsor.