The Pittsburgh Steelers boast one of the most far-reaching and lucrative sponsorship rosters in the NFL. As one of pro football's marquee franchises with a rich history of success, the team attracts major brands across industries aiming to tap into Steeler Nation's massive dedicated fan base. Examining the team's corporate partners provides insight into the club's diverse revenue streams that enable maintaining on-field excellence year after year.
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Gambling Brands
The majority of Steelers' sponsorships are with gambling companies, including online casinos, fantasy sports, sportsbooks, and land-based casinos. These deals have improved various sporting aspects, including coverage, improved resources, and perks from promotional deals.
Again, these brands bring diversity by introducing sports fans to other fan games like slots, table games, and cards. When placing your NFL wager on a site like SpinBounty, it’s hard to ignore other game categories, especially when your sport is off-season. Besides, they offer free spins and deposit bonuses to give players value for their money while providing them with safe entertainment solutions. Let’s explore some of the gambling-related sponsorship deals the Steelers made.
Steelers-BetMGM Groundbreaking Partnership
In November 2020, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed a momentous deal to become the first NFL team to partner with a sports betting operator. The multiyear pact named leading sportsbook BetMGM as the Steelers' exclusive gaming partner.
The landmark alignment provides BetMGM with major fan-focused assets, including:
- Presenting sponsor of the Steelers' Kickoff pregame show;
- Promotions on Steelers' radio, TV, and digital channels;
- Advertising via stadium signs and in-game LED displays;
- Customer experiences like fantasy camp access.
For the historic Steelers franchise, the BetMGM partnership reflected the evolving sports betting landscape. With many states legalizing wagering, the deal unlocked new revenue while catering to modern fans embracing betting.
BetMGM
Unibet-Steelers Deal
In August 2021, European sportsbook operator Unibet entered a groundbreaking partnership with the Pittsburgh Steelers to become the team's first official sports betting partner. The multiyear deal designates Unibet as the exclusive online gaming and sportsbook sponsor of the Steelers. As part of the collaboration, Unibet gained rights for digital and social media promotions alongside responsible gambling messaging.
Steelers Exclusive Fantasy Deal with FanDuel
In October 2019, daily fantasy sports giant FanDuel secured a partnership to become the official DFS partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The agreement brought FanDuel prominent branding and promotions on Steelers' digital, radio, and TV assets. FanDuel also hosted fantasy experiences for fans at the team's facility. While not covering sports betting, the fantasy-only aspect follows NFL rules on sportsbook affiliations. The Steelers deal strengthened FanDuel's ties across verticals with Pittsburgh-area sports entities, including the Penguins and Pirates.
Parx Casino Partnership
Beyond sports betting, the Steelers also aligned with Pennsylvania online casino Parx in a 2021 multiyear promotional partnership. The deal designates Parx as the Steelers' official casino partner.
Parx gains rights to target Steelers fans through integrated marketing campaigns. Initiatives include a trip giveaway sending fans to all Steelers away games in 2022. Parx also receives usage of official team logos and gameday activations to leverage the lucrative Steelers deal.
Heinz Field Naming Rights Deal
In 2001, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed a historic 20-year, $57 million naming rights agreement with food giant H.J. Heinz for their new stadium. As part of the deal, Heinz retained exclusive pouring rights at the venue while placing their iconic ketchup bottles on the stadium's scoreboard. The landmark partnership renamed Three Rivers Stadium to Heinz Field.
Although the deal expired in June 2021, Heinz did sign a separate sponsorship to retain naming rights to the stadium's "Red Zone" section. After two fruitful decades aligned, both the Steelers and Heinz benefitted immensely from the high-profile stadium naming rights collaboration.
Acrisure Takes Over Naming Rights from Heinz
After holding the stadium naming rights since 2001, food giant Heinz saw its deal expire in 2021. The Steelers signed Acrisure, a Michigan-based financial services company, to a 15-year agreement for naming rights to the iconic venue. The $10 million per year deal rebrands Heinz Field to Acrisure Stadium starting in the 2022 NFL season.
-544x306.jpg "Steelers Acrisure Stadium")
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
PepsiCo
Pepsi - Serving as the official soft drink sponsor since 2018, Pepsi gained designation as the only cola product sold at Heinz Field. This replaced a longstanding deal with rival Coke. Pepsi activates the sponsorship through fan/community initiatives and social media campaigns highlighting special gameday experiences.
Bottom Line
Sponsorships from industry leaders like PepsiCo, BetMGM, and Parx afford the Pittsburgh Steelers financial resources to sustain championship teams. But these corporate partners also aim to boost market share and goodwill by aligning with one of the NFL's most iconic teams. The mutually beneficial deals leverage the globally renowned Steeler logo to drive exposure, retail visibility, and fan affinity for their brands across Allegheny County and beyond.
