The food products category is always hungry for action. More than 4,600 brands worldwide actively invest in sponsorships and media, with an average of 2.4 deals per brand and 2 deals per property. Here's a look at the major players in this exciting industry. 

With 77 sponsorships, snack giant Frito-Lay leads the charge as the category's most active brand, partnering with properties including the Buffalo Bills and Atlanta United. Snickers trails closely behind with 70 partnerships, collaborating with superstar athletes like Ronald Acuña Jr. and CeeDee Lamb. Reese's and Dippin' Dots tie for third place with 59 sponsorships each.

Turning to properties, the ShopRite LPGA Classic—one of the longest-running tournaments on the LPGA Tour—takes the top spot. In the past 12 months, the tournament has inked deals with over 40 food product sponsors, including Lay's and Ferrero. Italian soccer club US Catanzaro 1929 follows in second place with 26 partners, predominantly Italian brands like Veroni and Murano. The Walmart NW Arkansas Championship—another LPGA marquee event—rounds out the top three with 23 food product sponsors, Lunchables and Tru Fru among them.

Product integration, Instagram posts, official sponsor status, website exposure, and Facebook posts (in that order) rank as the category's top 5 most popular assets.

Recent category news includes the November 18 announcement that this year's Pop-Tarts Bowl will roll out three Edible Mascots, which will vie to be eaten by the winning team and ascend to “mouth heaven” at the December 28 game in Orlando. The mascot matchup features a mystery flavor to be unveiled at the game before returning to store shelves. The campaign builds on the runaway viral success of last year's award-winning Edible Mascot campaign. which saw the 2023 Pop-Tarts Bowl became one of the year's biggest memes after Kansas State devoured the giant toaster pastry during the live broadcast.

Meanwhile, KitKat unveiled a multiyear global partnership with Formula 1 on November 11, becoming the Official Chocolate Bar of the red-hot motorsport circuit in 2025. The blockbuster deal—which marks parent company Nestlé's largest global partnership to date—will include interactive experiences at Grand Prix races, trackside branding, special-edition F1 products, and digital content.