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Major League Soccer names its official whiskey sponsor
Major League Soccer (MLS), the highest level of association football in North America, has announced a multi-year partnership with a whiskey brand – but it’s neither American nor Canadian.
While the US is not short of whiskey brands, the official whiskey of MLS is in fact Pernod Ricard-owned Irish whiskey brand Jameson.
As well as featuring in in-stadium promotions, such as at MLS ALL-Star Gameday Hospitality, the brand will also be featured in national broadcasts on MLS Season Pass (which is on Apple TV) and Fox, and in digital and out-of-home marketing for the league.
Furthermore, as well as being the official whiskey of the league, Jameson is also now the official whiskey of six MLS clubs: LA Galaxy, San Diego, Houston Dynamo, Chicago Fire, Orlando City and New York City.
Jameson has become increasingly involved in football, even ‘signing’ a footballer at the start of this year as part of a sponsorship and partnering with one menswear brand to create special football jerseys.
Pernod Ricard North America CEO and chairman Conor McQuaid commented: “Soccer is skyrocketing in North America, and the MLS community has some of the most energetic fans. We can all relate to that feeling of a shared connection and camaraderie and can’t think of a better partner to bring the warm and welcoming Jameson spirit to fans.”
MLS, which was founded in 1993, now contains 30 clubs – 27 in the US, and three in Canada. Each season culminates with a series of playoffs for the MLS Cup – the final took place on Saturday (7 December) and was won by LA Galaxy for the sixth time, making them the most successful club in the tournament’s history.
Football (AKA soccer) is certainly gaining momentum in the US, with the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup due to be hosted in the country. Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) has expanded its long-running deal with FIFA to sponsor the tournament.
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