(Courtesy Athletic Brewing)

Athletic Brewing,  America’s largest dedicated non-alcoholic craft beer operation is making big moves again. Founded in 2017 by Bill Shufelt and John Walker, the company pioneered a proprietary brewing method that retains full craft flavors without the alcohol and almost-overnight became an important player in the sector.

On August 11, the Milford, Connecticut-headquartered  brewery announced that it has signed a multi-year agreement to become the Proud Non-Alcoholic Beer Partner of MetLife Stadium, home to the New York Giants and the New York Jets. The deal marks Athletic Brewing’s first formal sponsorship of professional football teams or an NFL stadium.

Fans attending games at MetLife Stadium will be able to find 19.2-ounce cans of Athletic’s bestselling Run Wild IPA and Upside Dawn Golden at kiosks and other concession locations throughout the venue.

Later this year, special-edition Athletic packaging will hit stores across the New York tri-state area, with Run Wild IPA 12-packs featuring Giants branding and Upside Dawn Golden packs carrying the Jets logo.

Athletic will have plenty of visibility around the stadium as well, with its branding appearing on concourse displays, pylons, LED boards, menus and digital highway signs. The brewery will also host fan engagement and sampling events on select game days.

The deal extends beyond MetLife Stadium, with Athletic set to appear across the Giants’ and Jets’ television, radio, digital and social media platforms.

The partnership comes as non-alcoholic beer continues to find a much bigger audience, including among sports fans who want a beer in their hand without the alcohol. NFL stadiums have long been synonymous with beer, but the growing presence of non-alcoholic options is changing what that experience looks like.

MetLife Stadium, which is jointly operated by the Giants and Jets, gives Athletic a massive platform in one of the country’s largest sports markets.

The NFL deal also adds another major name to Athletic Brewing’s growing list of sports and entertainment partnerships. The brewery already works with Live Nation Entertainment and English Premier League club Arsenal F.C., among others.

For a brewery that has almost single-handedly mainstreamed the non-alcoholic beer experience, bringing brews like Run Wild and Upside Dawn into NFL game day arena feels like a pretty big win all around.

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