Get in the Game: Partnerships for Mid-Size Brands in Sports & Entertainment

Grassroots support and blazing new paths can be a winning ticket.

By Melanie Young

Sports and entertainment partnerships can connect wine brands with new, younger and more diverse drinking age customers. According to SponsorUnited, a global sports and entertainment intelligence platform, during the 2022-23 season, alcohol beverage brands contributed $480 million in sponsorship revenue across the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL. While beer and spirits still dominate the sports arena, wine is making its mark. 

Earlier this year, Jackson Family Wines announced a multi-year partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). Copper Cane Wines & Spirits is the wine partner for five Major League Baseball teams during the 2024 season: the New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves. 

Major league sponsorships can require major financial commitments. However, small and mid-size wine brands can gain a competitive edge with collaborations at the community and regional levels — and by thinking outside the box. Here are some examples.

Support Regional Divisions, Local Leagues and Clubs

Many of Major League Baseball’s heavy hitters got their start in Minor League Baseball, which has 120 affiliated teams in the United States and Canada. Batter up and inquire about sponsorships.

    Pickleball is America’s fastest-growing sport with more than 35 million players. New Zealand’s Nobilo Winery is the official wine sponsor of the U.S. National Pickleball Club. However, there are dozens of regional pickleball clubs where your wine could be a local tournament or league sponsor.

United States Tennis Association (USTA), the country’s largest recreational tennis organization, has dozens of leagues and more than 300,000 players nationwide that may present partnership opportunities.

Venture Down a New Partnership Path

The Spritz Society went to the dogs with its line of sparkling wine cocktails in a pilot partnership with The Westminster Kennel Club, the second-longest continuously held sporting event in the United States (after the Kentucky Derby). A popular televised competition for dog lovers, the 148th annual competition, held at Billie Jean King USTA National Tennis Center in Queens, provided Spritz Society the opportunity to serve its cocktails to drinking age show attendees and sell them at six concession locations throughout the tennis center. The arrangement was a “best in show” for Spritz Society whose wine cocktails sold out at the center. 

 “An iconic event such as Westminster can serve as an introduction to the world of American sporting and entertainment events with global media allure. Sponsorship serves as a creative and cost-effective marketing platform to reach a new, multigenerational audience by leveraging the universal love of dogs and legacy of Westminster,” says Kelly Morra, director of sponsorships for Westminster.

Stir Creativity and Emotions Pairing Wine with Art

Arts organizations that rely on grants and private support offer many sponsorship opportunities, which have the potential to reach culturally tuned-in consumers of all ages. When selecting a partnership, be authentic to your brand mission and consider long-term collaborations over a one-off. Focus on one area of the arts if you have a limited budget.

Château Malartic-Lagravière, a Bordeaux estate, partners with annual film festivals in the United States, including the American Cinematheque dinner, the Santa Barbara Film Festival, the Film Independent New Wave Actors and the Tribeca Film Festival (which this year included an 80th birthday celebration for actor and festival founder, Robert DeNiro). “Wine and cinema share a commonality, in that they both involve many dedicated people working together for several months, each of them being crucial to the final success of the project,” says winery co-owner Veronique Bonnie. 

Collaborating with an artist is another avenue to blend creative juices. Clif Family Wines in Napa Valley tapped Miami-based artist, Reyna Noriega, to design labels for the winery’s 2023 red and white blends and companion wine totes and tumblers. “Our relationship with Reyna helped us weave together both winemaking and art created by two talented females — winery co-founder Kit Crawford and artist Reyna Noriega — in industries that often under-represent women,” says Linzi Gay, president of Clif Family.

Plant Seeds in Your Community

Collaborating with local businesses can help stretch promotional dollars and reach new customers. Ghost Hill Cellars in Oregon’s Willamette Valley works with Park & Main, a local casual dining spot in nearby Carlton. “Park & Main provides us with our charcuterie boxes and a limited food menu for our Friday Night Lights events, where we stay open until 9 p.m. during the season,” says Cam Bower, winery founder. “In return, Park & Main promotes Ghost Hill Cellars in its restaurant and carries our wines.”

At its most basic, a winning strategy is being proactive rather than waiting for opportunities to come knocking at your marketing door. Come up with a plan that fits your brand ethos and goals, and approach organizations and businesses about establishing a working partnership that includes cross promoting and exclusively serving your wines. Even if an organization has not worked with a wine brand in the past, there is always a future. Your idea may be the one that opens the door.

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Melanie Young

Melanie Young is a certified specialist of wine and co-host/writer for The Connected Table LIVE, a global podcast featuring conversations with thought leaders in wine, food, spirits & hospitality. Her articles have appeared in Wine Industry News, Wine Enthusiast and Seven Fifty Daily. She travels frequently to report on wine regions, people and events. IG@theconnectedtable