Energy drink brand Red Bull signed five new sponsorship deals with UK football clubs in 2024 – the most of any brand. From a standing start, its contracts with Newcastle United, West Ham, Crystal Palace, Everton, and Leeds United represent an aggressive market entry strategy. Now with 23% of the total spend of all energy drink brands for the 2024/25 football season, its investment equals rival Monster Energy, according to new research from Ampere Analysis. 

Fierce competition between brands will typically stimulate further investment – a trend observed in the US where there’s been a steady 8% sponsorship spend growth of the soft drink sector since 2022, driven by rivals Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Overall the energy drinks sector’s total sponsorship spend in UK football has grown 17% since 2023.

While the Red Bull brand now owns football clubs in several territories, including Germany, Austria and the USA, in the UK it has now built relationships with multiple clubs as a sponsor, replacing Monster Energy at Premier League clubs West Ham and Newcastle in September this year. Monster Energy currently has deals with eight clubs, notably maintaining long-term partnerships with Tottenham and Liverpool, and recently signing a new contract with Brentford FC in August 2024 — indicating its intent to remain a sponsor in the Premier League

During its 2024 sponsorship spending spree, Red Bull replaced Everton’s incumbent sponsor Lucozade. However, British brand Lucozade continues to be a strong player in the sector, at 17% of spend by energy drink companies, and is currently ranked third by spend in UK football after Monster and Red Bull.

Other energy drink brands could be replaced or renewed in the coming Premier League seasons. Manchester City’s Gatorade deal, for example, is due to expire at the end of the 2024/25 season and is yet to be renewed, but could reach between £6m-£10m based on the scale of the current deal and market trends. Ampere’s Consumer data underlines the football sponsorship opportunity for brands: Manchester City fans are 37% more likely than the average consumer to buy energy drinks.

While Gatorade only has one major deal sponsorship deal in UK football, it accounts for 25% of global sponsorship spend by energy drink brands (across all sports covered by Ampere) ahead of Monster Energy at 23% and Red Bull at 20%. Gatorade’s lack of investment in the UK provides opportunities for both Monster Energy and Red Bull to bridge that competitive gap, while challenger brands such as Prime Energy or the returning Predator Energy, will also need to fight for their place in the coming seasons, likely furthering sector spend. Clubs will reap the benefits of this competition among energy drink brands; Red Bull’s entry into the UK market has, it seems, perked up the whole sector.