Surfside—a premium, ready-to-drink vodka iced tea and vodka lemonade brand—continues to make a big splash in the alcoholic beverage industry with its stratospheric growth and decisive sponsorship strategy. In 2023, its second year on the market, Surfside sold a staggering 1.3M cases, which was a 563% increase from its debut the year before. This growth is even more remarkable considering the canned cocktail brand was available in only seven states at the start of last year, before expanding into 48 states currently. 

Savvy sponsorships—especially in baseball, first sponsoring a team in 2023—have played a key role in Surfside's success thus far. Its high-profile partnerships with five MLB teams—the Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Guardians, and Atlanta Braves—have boosted Surfside's visibility and brand recognition among baseball fans. Notably, Surfside became the top-selling spirits brand at Citizens Bank Park with the Philadelphia Phillies last year—a testament to its burgeoning popularity.

And now—as the official RTD Vodka Iced Tea and Vodka Lemonade of Minor League Baseball (MiLB)—this Philly-based brand is riding this wave into other ballparks and communities! The deal also includes the Surfside Summer Sweepstakes, where 83 winners will receive four tickets to attend a MiLB game this season.

Surfside has grown its sponsorship portfolio from just seven deals in 2023 to 32 this year. 55% of these deals are within MiLB and 16% are within MLB. Surfside's baseball-focused sponsorship strategy contrasts with that of competitors like High Noon. For instance, while 16% of High Noon’s 37 sponsorship deals are in MiLB as well, the brand’s diversified portfolio also spans golf, football, and college athletics.

Watch this space to learn if (and how) Surfside’s sponsorship strategy will shift as the red-hot brand continues to innovate and enter new markets. 

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Characterized by its vibrant diversity, fierce competition, and rapid evolution, the alcohol category stands alone, especially in regard to its sports and entertainment partnerships. Over the past seven years, shifting consumer preferences—and the emergence of new entrants and innovative products—have transformed both the sector and its high-profile sponsorships. 

Here's a breakdown of the category’s current sponsorship deals within major pro sports:

• US Beer: 31%
• Craft Beer: 14%
• Spiked/Hard Seltzer: 12%
• Bourbon/Scotch/Whiskey: 8%
• Non-US Beer: 7%
• Wine: 7%
• Vodka: 7%
• Tequila: 6%
• Other: 5%
• Rum: 3%

Reflecting beer’s perennial popularity and the robust marketing budgets of large breweries, beer remains the dominant player in sports sponsorships, with US brands accounting for 31% of the share. Bud Light leads with 69 sponsorships and an 85% partnership rate with NFL teams; Michelob Ultra currently sponsors 25 of 30 NBA teams and follows with 61 deals; and Budweiser ranks third with 48 deals across multiple sports leagues. Craft breweries—which now account for 14% of sponsorships in the alcohol category—have focused their sponsorship efforts in MLB, where more than 45 brands currently have a sponsorship within the league. 

Hard seltzer brands—whose refreshing, low-calorie appeal continues to fuel the subcategory’s popularity—have emerged as a sponsorship force to watch, capturing 12% of the market. These brands have also embraced MLB sponsorships, with 18 of them joining forces with teams across pro baseball. Vizzy Hard Seltzer tops the list of most active sponsors with 25 deals (including partnerships with 12 NFL teams); Bud Light Seltzer trails closely behind with 20 sponsorships (7 NHL teams among them); and Truly Hard Seltzer takes third place with 13 deals.