NASCAR has signed Busch Beer, Coca-Cola, Geico and Xfinity as its “premier partners” in a change to its traditional sponsorship model. Starting next year, the premier series will be known as the NASCAR Cup Series and will not feature a title sponsor. Winston, Nextel, Sprint and most recently Monster Energy have served as the entitlement sponsors for the stock car racing series.
All four of the premier partners will be featured in multiple platforms across the sport, including integrations in broadcast, NASCAR digital and social channels, event entitlements, in-market promotions and at-track activations. The four companies will also have a presence in the championship race and the All-Star Race.
Winston was NASCAR’s first non-automotive major sponsor, and the tobacco company helped grow the regional racing series into a national brand over a 33-year relationship. The series was the Winston Cup Series until the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company ended its sponsorship in 2003. Nextel replaced Winston to form the Nextel Cup Series, and that became Sprint after the two telecommunications companies merged. The series has been the Monster Energy Cup Series the past three seasons.
When Monster decided to end its entitlement role, NASCAR decided to change its sales structure and move away from one presenting sponsor. The final model — announced Thursday, hours ahead of the season-ending awards ceremony — simply features the four premier sponsors in all signage and most NASCAR markings.