Spirits conglomerate Pernod Ricard, which owns the rights to a number of the world’s top brands, has become the latest major organization to sponsor American football’s elite NFL.
This deal is worth a reported $20 million per year, and will cover a number of the league's biggest global events, including the Super Bowl, where it will be presenting partner of the pre-game Super Bowl Tailgate Concert activation, and more.
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The partnership will be led by the Jameson Irish whiskey brand, which becomes a new official partner of the league, and will gain prominent branding throughout games and across marquee events, including branded bar spaces at the Super Bowl Experience activation and the annual NFL Draft.
Furthermore, this global-facing deal, which covers all international markets with the exception of Brazil and Mexico, will see Jameson become an official sponsor of the NFL's international fixtures in the UK, Germany, Australia, and France, the latter two of which will host their first-ever NFL games this year.
That aspect will be facilitated through in-stadium branding presence on pitch-side LED hoardings, stadium ribbon screens, hospitality offerings, and more.
Colin Kavanagh, chief marketing officer of Pernod Ricard North America, said: "As the league’s popularity continues to expand globally, we’re thrilled to step in as the official spirits sponsor of the NFL.
"Whether you’re raising a glass at a hometown tailgate, watching from a local neighborhood bar, or tuning in from across the globe, Jameson is proud to elevate the fan experience and toast to every major moment of the season."
Jameson has partnered with the NFL before, but that was limited to the Irish market, to coincide with the league’s first game in Ireland in 2025.
Pernod Ricard, which also owns the likes of Absolut Vodka, already activates in several markets where it sponsors individual NFL teams, including the Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and will continue to do so going forward.
Pernod Ricard replaces rival Diageo as the NFL’s official partner in the spirits category.
The NFL lifted its ban on liquor ads in 2017, with the caveat that they include social responsibility messages.
Diageo became the league’s first-ever spirits sponsor in that category with a 2021 agreement on multi-year terms worth a reported $30 million per season.
That deal has now lapsed, paving the way for Pernod Ricard to enter the NFL stakes.
According to Sports Business Journal, this new agreement is worth $20 million per year, which would represent a significant backstep for the NFL, but perhaps that represents the harsh conditions of the global spirits market, which is enduring a tight squeeze owing to low consumer spending power and changing trends.
Pernod's sales in the US have been under pressure in recent quarters. In its third-quarter results released in April, the group saw organic sales decline 12% in the market.
At the beginning of June, Conor McQuaid, the CEO of Pernod's North America arm, said that the French spirit major plans to bolster its Jameson Irish whiskey brand in the US.
The brand's "sell-out" was "slightly ahead of its competitive set" in Pernod's third quarter, he said in the prepared remarks.
He also described the firm’s plans to target the Hispanic and African American consumer segments, ones that he claims were ‘under-indexed ’. McQuaid said the brand requires: “A deliberate focus on getting a relevant playbook in play so that we can recruit against those two opportunities."
McQuaid did not provide details on how the group planned to specifically recruit Hispanic and African American consumers to the Jameson brand, but perhaps the expanded partnership with the NFL, perhaps the US’ most wildly popular sports product, is the brand’s newest effort to hone in on the valued demographics.
Jameson, owned by spirits giant Pernod Ricard, already has a strong presence in the US sports market, where it is the official whiskey of the Major League Soccer competition.
