Pepsi is stepping away from sponsoring the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
via AdWeek:
After a decade as the presenting sponsor of the Big Game’s star-studded entertainment break, Pepsi has decided this year’s performance featuring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar will be its last.
The soft drink giant plans to concentrate more of its media spend in digital as traditional broadcast TV audiences continue to dwindle. While the Super Bowl may be one of the last vestiges of appointment television, its halftime show faces myriad challenges from social media, streaming and other mediums.
In a statement, Pepsi said ending the partnership reflects a “larger strategic shift to bring unprecedented music and entertainment experiences” to consumers “where they are now, and where they will be in the future.”
In response to the announcement, an NFL spokesperson said, “The Super Bowl Halftime performance has grown to become the most talked about musical event of the year and delivers what advertisers most crave—aggregating a massive live audience.”
The league added it has received strong interest from other companies looking to sign up as the next Super Bowl halftime show sponsor.
Pepsi declined to provide additional comments.
According to additional reports, the NFL is believed to be interested in attracting a partner that could also use behind-the-scenes access or bonus content, potentially benefiting both the music industry or a video platform that hosts the content.
It sounds like they’re trying to be sponsored by TikTok or YouTube next year. We’ll see what happens.
