Sports drink brand Gatorade has announced that it will not be renewing its partnership with the National Hockey League (NHL). The announcement comes following a shift in Gatorade’s sports marketing strategy.
Gatorade stated that the two parties were no longer aligned on the financial commitment to renew but confirmed that it will remain to have a presence in ice hockey.
Jeff Kearney, Global Head of Sports Marketing, Gatorade, said:
“The NHL has been a great partner for years, and while we weren’t aligned on the financial commitment to renew, Gatorade will continue to have a presence in hockey.
“We’ve had to be very thoughtful about where our resources, both people and funds, are going. So for us, we didn’t want to over-commit in one space, instead focusing on reaching as many athletes as we can.
“We view ourselves as both a supplier of best-in-class equipment to help the athlete and the partner, but also a partner that when we work together can make an impact. We’re just trying to move sports and our partnerships forward in that fashion, taking a different lens on all the relationships that we currently have and that we’re building in the future.“
Gatorade had been a sponsor of the NHL since 2006. Most recently, in 2018, Gatorade’s parent company PepsiCo and the NHL had renewed their deal.
Moving ahead, Gatorade has announced that it will be entering the metaverse, fantasy sports and Web3 along with strengthening its athlete roster.
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