Pepsi Will No Longer Sponsor Super Bowl Halftime Show

Super Bowl LV Halftime Show and Pepsi had a glorious partnership for the last decade. Pepsi’s 10-year sponsorship has come to an end, despite an extension of its overall relationship with the NFL. The NFL is now looking for a new sponsor for the Super Bowl halftime show.

Pepsi will no longer be the title sponsor of the NFL’s Super Bowl Halftime Show after ten years, the company confirmed to Billboard. The news is part of a larger announcement about PepsiCo’s long-term partnership with the NFL. It includes new programming, a new Gatorade-specific drink for NFL players that will be available to consumers in 2023, and a number of unnamed activations from Pepsi, Frito-Lay, and others planned for the year.

In a press release, Pepsi said its decision was part of a “much larger strategic shift to bring unprecedented music and entertainment experiences to fans – where they are now, and where they will be in the future.”

However, the termination of Pepsi’s Halftime Show title sponsorship is significant. After taking over from previous sponsor Bridgestone in 2013, Beyoncé headlined the brand’s inaugural Halftime Show, which includes performances by Bruno Mars (2014), Katy Perry (2015), Coldplay (2016), Lady Gaga (2017), Justin Timberlake (2018), and Maroon 5 among others (2019). In 2007, Pepsi sponsored the Halftime Show, which featured Prince’s historic rain performance.

Since its 2020 edition, the NFL has programmed the Halftime Show in collaboration with Jay Z’s entertainment company Roc Nation. It came after a deal signed in August 2019 between Roc and the NFL that gave Roc Nation input over major musical performances for the NFL. Since then, Roc Nation clients Shakira and Jennifer Lopez have performed at the Halftime Show, with special guests J Balvin and Bad Bunny in 2020; The Weeknd in 2021; and Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar in 2022, with special guests 50 Cent and Anderson.Paak.

There is no information on who will take up the title sponsorship in the future, with the next event set for February 12, 2023 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. According to the Sports Business Journal, PepsiCo would keep a marketing agreement with the NFL but would no longer be the Halftime Show’s named sponsor, with firms like Amazon and Verizon expected to pay between $40 million and $50 million to take Pepsi’s place.

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