Sonic Hard Seltzer is now the official hard seltzer of the Big 12 Conference with a three-year contract, the brand announced today.
“We’re thrilled to partner with the Big 12 Conference,” COOP Beverage Works president Sean Mossman said in a press release. “On the heels of our continued expansion into 39 states and being recognized as one of the top 10 fastest selling seltzer brands, we’re excited to deepen our product integration responsibly within the conference and with its fans of legal drinking age.”
Sonic’s partnership gives the brand category exclusivity and use of the Big 12’s intellectual property at retail. The brand will also see “social and digital engagement” on official Big 12 Conference channels and platforms and be featured during the following championships:
- Dr Pepper Big 12 Football Championship at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas;
- Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri;
- Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
Due to existing arrangements and alcohol policies varying by university, Sonic Hard Seltzer will not be sold at any Big 12 stadiums during the regular season, but may be available during conference tournaments and championships if the hosting venue agrees, Mossman told Brewbound.
Sonic will leverage its relationship with the Big 12 to create experiences for drinkers, he added.
“We will likely execute primarily at retail utilizing hospitality packages for football championships and the other sports tourneys as consumer prizes,” Mossman said.
The Big 12 Conference is the athletic home of the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University – two of the biggest sports teams in Sonic’s home state. Baylor University, Iowa State University, the University of Kansas, Kansas State University, Texas Christian University, the University of Texas, Texas Tech University and West Virginia University also belong to the conference.
Oklahoma and Texas’ days in the Big 12 are numbered, as both schools announced last summer they plan to leave after the 2024-2025 academic year. The Big 12 will add BYU, Houston, Cincinnati and the University of Central Florida for the 2023-24 season. However, the partnership is only between Sonic and the conference, not any of its teams.
This isn’t the Big 12’s first dance with an official hard seltzer partner. In 2019, the conference named Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Natural Light Hard Seltzer its official hard seltzer. At the time, Natural Light held a 2.4% share of the hard seltzer segment, according to data from wholesaler tech firm Fintech. A-B had yet to launch Bud Light Seltzer or Michelob Ultra Organic Seltzer and its seltzer portfolio consisted of BonVIV and Natural Light.
Sonic isn’t the first beverage-alcohol brand to forge an official partnership with a collegiate athletic conference. Last summer, Bend, Oregon-headquartered Deschutes Brewery announced it had signed a deal to be the official craft beer of the Pac-12 Conference.
The Big 12 deal marks the second major announcement from the Sonic brand this summer. In late June, Sonic unveiled two new offerings: Sonic Hard Southern Sweet Tea and Sonic Hard Slush.
Earlier this month, the brand launched its Greatest Hits Pack, a 24-pack intended for club stores featuring fan favorite flavors Ocean Water, Cherry Limeade and Lemon Berry.