Source: Coca-Cola Opts Not To Renew MLB Sponsorship Rights

Given the state of the economy, it is likely that the soft drink category will remain open at MLB this seasonGETTY IMAGES

Coca-Cola "quietly failed to renew its national MLB sponsorship rights early this year,” largely due to “budgetary concerns” more than anything else, according to a source cited by Terry Lefton in this week’s SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL. Coca-Cola has “held the majority of MLB team sponsorships for some time,” but it signed a deal “garnering it league rights just before the beginning of the 2017 season.” Pepsi has league sponsorship rights with the NBA, NFL and NHL, and it held MLB rights from ’97-’17. Despite the opening of such a large category, it is possible the carbonated soft drink category “will remain open at MLB this season" due to the “current state of affairs across the overall economy and the sports economy” (SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL, 6/8 issue).