Molson Coors Beverage Company today said it will become the official beverage company of the Los Angeles Sparks, becoming the first-ever beer partner of the three-time WNBA champions.
The deal, which represents the first all-encompassing beverage deal of is kind in WNBA history, includes in-arena signage at Sparks games, social media content, sweepstakes and co-branded point-of-sale retail displays throughout Southern California.
The partnership, led by Coors Light, Vizzy and Blue Moon LightSky, encompasses the entire Molson Coors portfolio, allowing the company to promote its more than 100 alcohol and non-alc beverages.
“We’re honored to team up with the LA Sparks on such a unique scale. They have such a powerful, well-known brand that needs no introduction,” says Jessica Owens, Molson Coors’ Field Marketing Director for the Pacific region. “This is historic in that it signifies a new day for Molson Coors from a total beverage standpoint and will help us get our brands in front of new consumers.”
The pact is mutually beneficial, Owens says. It offers Molson Coors an opportunity to showcase its brands to a broader set of drinkers - particularly females – in the crowded L.A. marketplace, and to “show up in places we normally wouldn’t, like courtside or in the locker room.” Co-branded displays in grocery stores and other retail outlets in the region will also bring new attention to the LA Sparks.
Molson Coors will work with the Sparks on brand awareness campaigns, including nascent plays in the non-alcohol space such as Huzzah! Probiotic Seltzer, ZenWTR, La Colombe ready-to-drink coffee, and ZOA, a new energy drink.
“We’re very excited that Molson Coors has stepped up, showing they see the value in showcasing their entire portfolio in this first-of-its-kind deal,” says Sparks Interim President and COO Natalie White. “It speaks volumes that one of the world’s largest brands recognizes the impact of the LA Sparks and the WNBA and wants to partner with our organization to be a changemaker in the sports sponsorship space.”
The partnership comes as the Sparks celebrate their 25th anniversary and “represents a very significant step for the Sparks and other women’s teams, and it shows there’s tremendous upside in investing in women’s sports,” White says.
The Sparks, she says, “have very loyal fans, not just across Southern California, but across the United States, and they truly support those who support us.”