Sports Sponsor of the Year

brandon magnus / zuffa llc

Constellation Brands

Constellation continues to evolve into a sports marketing power. Its most popular brand, Corona, signed its first college deal (University of Texas) and took over rights for the Kentucky Derby. Sister brand Modelo went big with UFC and CONCACAF, and sales for both brands have soared.

courtesy of dr pepper

Dr Pepper

Larry Culpepper, the quirky but popular soda vendor, will be back as Dr Pepper extended its College Football Playoff deal by six years. The soda’s deal with Team SoloMid, the six-time champions of the North American League of Legends Championship Series, gives it exposure to a new demographic.

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Toyota

As it rebrands itself from a carmaker to a company that provides multiple mobility options, Toyota became a launch partner of Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch League, extended its multi-venue partnership with AEG, and signed on as an official sponsor of the NHL’s Golden Knights and CONCACAF Gold Cup.

courtesy of verizon

Verizon

Verizon bought Yahoo for $4.5 billion and combined it with AOL to create the new Oath digital content and advertising subsidiary, covering more than 50 media brands. That reach helped the company renew its partnerships with the NFL, worth an estimated $2 billion over five seasons, and the NBA.

courtesy of xfinity

Xfinity

For the first time, television viewers had access to every Olympic moment live only with Xfinity. The media company strengthened its esports commitment with sponsorship renewals with the ESL and Evil Geniuses, and used its title sponsorship of NASCAR’s Xfinity Series to generate awareness of other partners in its portfolio.