The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, of American football’s NFL, have ended their long-standing ties with soft drinks giant Coca-Cola after signing a multi-year deal with rival PepsiCo.
PepsiCo joins as a Pewter Partner, the club’s highest sponsorship level, with its iconic Pepsi brand named the Buccaneers’ official soft drink.
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From the NFL’s 2026 season, PepsiCo beverages, including Pepsi, Pepsi Zero Sugar, Pepsi Wild Cherry, Mountain Dew, Poppi, Mug Root Beer, and others, will be made available throughout Raymond James Stadium and the team’s training centre
The Buccaneers said the partnership will be rolled out in phases, starting with renaming the stadium’s Veranda D outdoor gathering spot as Pepsi Tailgate. Pepsi will also open a new concession stand, which will feature a signature food item.
Buccaneers players will appear in marketing materials inside and outside the stadium.
As part of the wide-ranging agreement, Pepsi will serve as the presenting sponsor of the Buccaneers’ Week 12 match against the Carolina Panthers featuring a fan experience and giveaway, as well as community and retail programs aiming to give back to fans.
Atul Khosla, the Buccaneers’ chief commercial officer, said: “As the NFL's longtime soft drink partner, Pepsi knows how to create fan experiences that matter — and that makes them the right partner for our organization.
“Together, we'll bring bold gameday activations, elevated concessions, and real community impact to the Krewe at Raymond James Stadium and across Tampa Bay.”
The deal builds on Pepsi’s existing relationship with the Buccaneers through its Gatorade sports drink and Frito-Lay snack brands.
The agreement ends a 50-year relationship between the Buccaneers and Coca-Cola, which was the last remaining original sponsor from the franchise’s expansion debut in 1976.
Due to the swap, pouring rights to the 30 stadiums housing the 32 NFL franchises are now evenly split between PepsiCo and Coca-Cola.
PepsiCo sponsors 17 individual NFL teams but holds pouring rights to 15 stadiums due to shared two-team venues MetLife (New York Giants and New York Jets) and SoFi (LA Rams and LA Chargers).
Coca-Cola, meanwhile, sponsors 15 NFL teams and has pouring rights to their stadiums.
