PepsiCo has become the Bills' exclusive sponsor and
soft-drink supplier in a five-year, four-season deal. The
Bills had been with Coca-Cola for several years. The new
partnership, which took effect with the Bills' preseason
opener last Friday, gives Pepsi exclusive advertising and
pouring rights at the Bills' stadium, including its soft
drinks, iced teas, water and juice drinks. Graphics
featuring the Bills' '98 schedule will be featured on Pepsi
packaging, including 12 oz. cans, 20 oz. bottles and 24 oz.
bottles. The panel will also promote the Bills' toll-free
ticket number and Web site (Bills). BLOOMBERG's Chris Roush
writes that the Bills become "the first team to switch from
Coca-Cola" since the soft-drink company's recently-signed
NFL deal, which did not include teams. Coca-Cola now has
rights to 24 teams, Pepsi has five -- with the Bills joining
the Cowboys, Patriots, Seahawks and Ravens -- and Triarc's
RC Cola has a deal with the Packers (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 8/18).
PEPSI GOES CARROLLING: SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Andy
Bernstein reports that Pepsi has re-worked its sponsorship
deal with the Patriots, building on the company's three-year
deal with Foxboro Stadium. Pepsi "can now scrap the
'Official Soft Drink of Foxboro Stadium' logo that appeared
on some packaging and actually use the Patriots' trademark."
In going after team rights, Bernstein writes that Coca-Cola
and Pepsi "have played a game of chicken with teams, and no
one on the team or soft-drink side has blinked yet." Team
marketing execs "are saying they would rather wait a year
than accept a deal this season for below what they think the
category is worth" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 8/17 issue).
NOT FAR FROM THE TREE: Chargers rookie QB Ryan Leaf
signed a two-year regional endorsement deal with Pepsi, his
first regional deal. Pepsi will use Leaf in print ads and
can use his name in promos and advertising. Leaf's
marketing is handled by ISI (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 8/17).
