--- title: Facts about NFL Sponsors and Partnerships description: The NFL made $1.2 billion in sponsorships last season (2014-2015). That’s more than any other pro league in North America... --- [![OpenSponsorship_logo-3](https://opensponsorship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/OpenSponsorship_logo-3.png?width=200&height=34&name=OpenSponsorship_logo-3.png "OpenSponsorship_logo-3")](https://opensponsorship.com/) [Case Studies](https://learnmore.opensponsorship.com/case-studies) [Create Free Account](https://opensponsorship.com/registration?type=brand&utm_source=Blog+header&utm_medium=Blog+header&utm_campaign=Blog+header&utm_id=Blog+header&utm_term=Blog+header&utm_content=Blog+header) # Facts about NFL Sponsors and Partnerships - [Home](https://opensponsorship.com/) - Blog Details [Katie Vella](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/author/katie-vella) August 24 2016 The NFL continues to make billions from sponsorships. We take a look at some interesting facts about NFL sponsors and partnerships. ## NFL Sponsors and official partners ### Gatorade has sponsored the NFL since 1983. The partnership is the longest-standing in the NFL. ### [![Gatorade has evolved throughout the years from a basic glass bottle to its current packaging ](https://opensponsorship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/gatorade-timeline1-300x300-4.jpg?width=414&height=414&name=gatorade-timeline1-300x300-4.jpg)](https://schmoozewithshaeley.wordpress.com/2015/10/30/gatorade-is-it-in-you/) [Gatorade has evolved throughout the years from a basic glass bottle to its current packaging.](https://schmoozewithshaeley.wordpress.com/2015/10/30/gatorade-is-it-in-you/)   ### The NFL is the most profitable league in North America when it comes to sponsorship deals. In 2014-2015 season, they made $1.2 billion in sponsorships.That’s more than any other pro league in North America. The money came from new deals in 2015 with Hyundai and Dannon, as well as standing partnerships with 30 other brands including Pepsi, Verizon, and McDonalds.                                                                                                                                                                   [![NFL sponsorship has grown from 946 million in 2011 to 1.2 billion in 2015](https://opensponsorship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/nfl-sponsorship1-300x157-4.png?width=632&height=331&name=nfl-sponsorship1-300x157-4.png)](http://www.sponsorship.com/About-IEG/Press-Room/NFL-Sponsorship-Revenue-Grows-4-4--In-2015-Season.aspx) ### NFL-adjacent charities see big marketing spend as well For example, in 2014-2015, Thomas Davis, has more brands sponsoring his charity, [Defending Dreams Foundation](http://www.defendingdreams.org/sponsors/), than he does himself. He is the most recent winner of the Bart Starr award (given to the NFL player that best exemplifies outstanding leadership and character on the field and in the community).   **[![Defending Dreams Foundation Logo. Educate. Empower. Defend](https://opensponsorship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/https_proxy-4.png?width=960&height=139&name=https_proxy-4.png)](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-ultimate-queen-city-car-bike-show-tickets-24816903025)** ### The NFL’s Biggest sponsor remains PepsiCo PepsiCo is the NFL’s biggest sponsor, with sponsorship agreements valued “[estimated  $100 million a year](http://money.cnn.com/2014/09/18/news/companies/pepsi-goodell/).” PepsiCo products that sponsor the NFL consist of Gatorade, Frito-Lay, Pepsi, and Quaker Oats. ### NFL sponsorships are not always exclusive. 6**. NFL sponsorships are not always exclusive.** Although the NFL has official sponsors, competing companies are still free to buy commercial slots during the Super Bowl. So while Pepsi is the official soft drink of the NFL, you’ll still see Coca-Cola ads during the big game. Similarly, individual teams can be sponsored by brands that compete with the NFL’s official sponsors. For example, while Hyundai is the official sponsor of the NFL, Chevrolet sponsors the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32pO1cl\_dpU   ## **Find more NFL players to sponsor:** NFL Athlete (and their charitable organizations) are easy to find with [opensponsorship.com](https://opensponsorship.com/sports-sponsorship). Just use our search tool to find a local legend to partner with your company. [To get started, simply click here to view the different athletes available to sponsor. ](https://opensponsorship.com/sports-sponsorship) [Source 1](http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2015/09/23/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/NFL-sponsors.aspx), [Source 2](https://www.sponsorship.com/User/Login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fiegsr%2f2016%2f02%2f04%2fNFL-Sponsorship-Revenue-Grows-4-4-Percent-In-2015-.aspx&Access=0&Reason=NoUser), [Source 3](http://www.autonews.com/article/20151109/RETAIL03/151109861/spreading-the-nfl-sponsorship-field) - [sponsorship](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/topic/sponsorship) - [sports](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/topic/sports) - [Uncategorized](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/topic/uncategorized) #### [Katie Vella](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/author/katie-vella) #### Popular Post #### [America's 250th Birthday: The Brand Activation Playbook for 2026](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/america-250-brand-activation-playbook) July 01, 2026 #### [OpenSponsorship Releases World Cup Brand Activation Data as FIFA 2026 Kicks Off](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/opensponsorship-world-cup-2026-brand-activation-data) June 10, 2026 #### [High School NIL: A Brand's Guide to Sponsoring High School Athletes](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/high-school-nil-guide) May 19, 2026 #### [Why Athlete Influencer Marketing Is B2B's Most Underleveraged Channel](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/b2b-athlete-influencer-marketing) April 08, 2026 #### [Athlete Sponsorship Cost in 2026: $500 to $500K+](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/how-much-does-athlete-sponsorship-cost) March 30, 2026 #### Tag Cloud [marketing](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/tag/marketing) [sponsorship](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/tag/sponsorship) [athletes](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/tag/athletes) [Uncategorized](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/tag/uncategorized) [sports](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/tag/sports) [Brand Endorsements](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/tag/brand-endorsements) [sports marketing](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/tag/sports-marketing) [Parterships](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/tag/parterships) [Endorsement](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/tag/endorsement) [athlete marketing](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/tag/athlete-marketing) [brand ambassador](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/tag/brand-ambassador) [influencer marketing](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/tag/influencer-marketing) [sports brands](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/tag/sports-brands) [endorsements](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/tag/endorsements) [NIL](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/tag/nil) [olympics](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/tag/olympics) [Fitness](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/tag/fitness) [sports innovation](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/tag/sports-innovation) [artificial intelligence](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/tag/artificial-intelligence) [social media](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/tag/social-media) [NFL](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/tag/nfl) [nba](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/tag/nba) [KPIs](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/tag/kpis) [mlb](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/tag/mlb) [nhl](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/tag/nhl) [twitch](https://opensponsorship.com/blog/tag/twitch) ### OpenSponsorship Blog ## FAQs What is OpenSponsorship? OpenSponsorship is an online marketplace and platform that connects athletes, teams, and influencers with brands and businesses for sponsorship opportunities. It was founded in 2014 and has since become one of the leading platforms in the sports sponsorship industry. How do I signup as a brand? Brands can signup for free here: https://opensponsorship.com/registration?type=brand How do I signup as an athlete? Athlete can signup for free here: https://opensponsorship.com/registration?type=athlete ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Katie Vella", "url" : "https://opensponsorship.com/blog/author/katie-vella" }, "dateModified" : "2024-01-02T12:07:42.883Z", "datePublished" : "2016-08-24T14:36:21.000Z", "headline" : "Facts about NFL Sponsors and Partnerships", "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://opensponsorship.com/blog/6-nfl-sponsorship-facts", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://opensponsorship.com/hubfs/OpenSponsorship_logo_compact-3.png" }, "name" : "Opensponsorship" } } ```