Heineken Leads Alcoholic Beverage Sports Sponsorship Spending in EMEA for 2025
In 2025, Heineken emerged as the top spender in sports sponsorship among alcoholic beverage companies operating in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Heineken accounted for 26.5% of alcoholic beverage brand sports sponsorship spending in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region in 2025, with $163.93 million spent across 43 deals, according to GlobalData.
Heineken was the most active and highest spending alcoholic beverages brand in sports sponsorship across the EMEA region in 2025, according to GlobalData’s “Sponsorship Sector Report – Alcoholic Beverages – EMEA 2025.” The company’s 43 sponsorship deals totaled $163.93 million, representing 26.5% of total spending by alcoholic beverage brands in the region for the year.
Soccer generated 50.8% of sponsorship deal volume and 72.4% of total deal value for alcoholic beverage brands in EMEA in 2025. Alcoholic beverage brands focused on series partnerships, which accounted for the largest annual value share and the highest average value per deal.
Following Heineken in overall sponsorship spending in the region were AB InBev, Carlsberg, and Asahi. These brands were identified as the sector's largest contributors after Heineken.
Europe accounted for the majority of sports sponsorship agreements and spending by alcoholic beverage brands in the EMEA region in 2025. Most agreements were executed with Europe-based sports properties, and these deals carried higher price tags than those in other regions. The Middle East and Africa accounted for 4.3% of deal volume and 2.7% of total annual value in 2025.
The largest sponsorship deal in the region in 2025 was the partnership between the UEFA Champions League and Heineken. Other major deals included Manchester City’s partnership with Asahi Breweries, the Six Nations’ agreement with Diageo, the Premier League’s deal with Diageo, and UEFA’s partnership with Carlsberg.
Top-tier soccer and rugby properties attracted a significant share of high-value sponsorship investment from global beverage companies, driven by their extensive pan-European reach, large television audiences, and strong fan engagement.
GlobalData’s analysis attributes the concentration of sponsorship spending in Europe to the region’s sports culture, the presence of major leagues and events, a regulatory environment that permits alcohol advertising and sponsorship, and mature economies with higher disposable incomes. Beverage brands are using a combination of international tournaments and domestic properties to reach both cross-border and local audiences.
