Pepsi No Longer Sponsor Of Super Bowl Halftime Show After A Decade

It's an end of an era for Pepsi as the soft drink manufacturing company will be stepping aside as the official sponsors of the iconic Super Bowl Halftime show.

The NFL event is in search of new and bigger sponsors for its upcoming installments after a successful partnership with Pepsi.

The curtains have closed on Pepsi's collaboration with the NFL as regards the marquee halftime entertainment ceremony.

According to CNBC, although the soft drink and snack company renewed its agreement with the NFL on Tuesday, they relinquished rights over the Super Bowl Halftime show.

Instead, the multinational will focus its marketing antics on other sectors of the NFL, especially a new Gatorade drink that will have pouring rights at all NFL events.

The new contract involves Pepsi collaborating with NFL to unveil a Gatorade pre-workout drink for the athletes as well as the continued use of the league to promote its other brands, Tostitos and Frito Lay.

Discussing the new sponsorship terms, Tracie Rodburg, NFL's senior vice president of sponsorship management said, "Our priorities and their priorities have evolved, and we wanted to make sure that as we continue this partnership that we’re all working toward the same goal."

This is the first time since 2012 that the rights to the Super Bowl Halftime are available in the marketplace and it is estimated to go for as high as $40-$50 million.

In the past, Pepsi paid a total of $2.3 billion over 10 years, and before that when Auto parts manufacturer Bridgestone held the rights, they paid $10 million per year.

In a social media update, Pepsi confirmed the smooth transition of power via a statement that read, "After 10 years of iconic Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show performances, we have decided it’s time to pass the mic. 🎤  Thank you to the amazing artists and fans who helped us create some incredible moments along the way. 👏 Now on to the next stage… 👀."

They continued, "26 musical acts representing 168 Grammys and almost 1,000 Billboard hits have rocked the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show stage over the past 10 years. 🎸 Got a favorite #PepsiHalftime memory? "

Fans did well to drop their well wishes and appreciation for the brand in the comments. One fan wrote, "thanks for the memories, guys. loved the shows!"

Another added, "How will I ever watch the Super Bowl halftime show now 🥺. But can’t wait to see what’s next for you guys!!"

Some fans suggested that Pepsi's rival Coca Cola should take the baton while others believed Pepsi wasn't done given that they hadn't given fans a Britney Spears Halftime show.

The 2022 Super Bowl Halftime was the last halftime show sponsored by Pepsi and they sure did well to leave an impression on fans.

The record-making show which gave hip-hop its moment featured a historic lineup consisting of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, and Kendrick Lamar.

The highly anticipated performance brought in a total of 103.4 million viewers surpassing 2021's show which garnered 96.7 million viewers.

The star-studded lineup which was a celebration of black culture and its hip-hop icons was influenced by Jay-Z and Dr. Dre.

Its sentimental location, Sofi Stadium in Inglewood, made fans even more excited with one netizen writing at the time of the show, "I’m glad Pepsi understood the assignment. Halftime should reflect the city and culture it’s in."

There's no doubt Pepsi has done a great job carrying the torch of the Super Bowl Halftime for a decade and the world can't wait to see who takes over.