Gatorade to stop sponsoring NHL

PepsiCo will not be renewing its Gatorade brand sponsorship with the National Hockey League (NHL), as part of its revamp of its sports-related marketing.

Gatorade had been an NHL sponsor since 2006, with the most recent five-year deal renewal signed in 2018.

Gatorade already has sponsorship agreements with the National Football League and Major League Baseball. PepsiCo, on the other hand, has concluded that its future in sports sponsorship lay in less visible areas such as women's sports and collegiate athletics.

According to Jeff Kearney, Gatorade’s head of sports marketing, the future of sport for them means continuing to invest in young and diverse athlete communities, cutting edge leagues, and embracing all athletic journeys.

When the National Collegiate Athletic Association began allowing student-athletes to receive money for sponsorship and endorsement arrangements in July, the marketing potential in college athletics skyrocketed.