Since it’s one of the biggest sports leagues in the world, brands make a beeline for the NFL. Being an NFL sponsor offers them exposure to millions of sports fans around the world. In the 2025 season, the NFL had sponsorship deals with 92 different brands, including Nike, Diageo, Microsoft, FedEx, Oakley, Amazon Web Services and more. Below is a look at NFL sponsors in the approaching 2026 season, their backgrounds and who or what they’re sponsoring.
Official sponsors of the NFL in the 2026 season
The list of sponsors is long, but here are some of the biggest names to be getting behind the NFL in 2026: US Bank, PayPal, DraftKings, American Express, Jameson Irish Whiskey, Adobe, American Express, Draft Kings, Toyota, PepsiCo, Gatorade, Uber Eats, Microsoft, Sony, Proctor and Gamble and more.
US Bank
Some might say the San Francisco 49ers hit paydirt when they signed a sponsorship deal with banking institution US Bank. The bank has sponsored the ‘Frisco team since 2014 and has renewed its deal as the franchise’s banking partner for at least another two years. The and is also the banking partner of the Minnesota Vikings.
US Bank is also a banking and wealth management partner of the NFL and will sponsor the NFL’s MVP Award, starting from the Super Bowl LXI.
PayPal
In April 2026, PayPal issued a press release explaining it had made a multiyear deal to become the NFL’s official peer-to-peer payments partner. The company, also an official payment partner for online auction platform eBay, already powers payments for two of the US’s biggest college conferences, which makes it a logical fit for the NFL, too.
The partnership covers the whole NFL ecosystem, including flag football and promotion of the NFL National Flag College Showcase at Draft. The company will also launch a sweepstakes that awards up to $1 million to fans throughout the season and significant moments, such as the NFL schedule release, international games and, of course, the Super Bowl.
DraftKings
DraftKings remains an NFL official sports betting co-partner and also the league’s exclusive official fantasy football partner. They and other official sports betting partners can engage fans with NFL-themed free-to-play games. They can integrate sports betting content into NFL media properties, such as the NFL app and NFL.com, and enhance fan experiences with NFL highlights, footage and Next Gen Stats content. DraftKings may use the official NFL data feed, which comes in handy when creating and operating a football odds page.
American Express
Perhaps one of the juiciest deals in NFL sponsorship has been American Express’s sponsorship agreement with the league. In March 2026, the high-profile financial services company announced that it would become the NFL’s global official payment partner, starting with the 2026 season. The deal comes following the expiration of Amex rival Visa’s three-year sponsorship of the NFL.
As part of the deal, Amex cardholders receive special benefits linked to the Super Bowl, the NFL draft and league-owned international games. Amex got the ball rolling by giving cardholders early access to tickets for the game between the LA Rams and San Francisco 49ers, scheduled for September 10, in Melbourne, Australia.
Cardholders will also have access to special perks through club deals with several NFL teams. They’ll be able to access pre-sale tickets to select home games of the Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants and New York Jets.
Jameson Irish Whiskey
Jameson Irish Whiskey, the world’s biggest-selling Irish whiskey, has taken over from Diageo as the NFL’s official spirits sponsor. The agreement begins when the 2026 season starts in September and will see Jameson present at major events including the NFL Draft, the Super Bowl, the Super Bowl Tailgate Concert, and four NFL international games.
As well as sponsoring NFL events, the brand will support the Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This sponsorship will include localized fan opportunities, matchday cocktail recipes, co-branded consumer sweepstakes and activations.
Toyota
Automotive manufacturer Toyota had already sponsored the first international game to be played in Spain, in November 2025. This year it sponsored the 2026 NFL Draft in the form of the NFL Draft Red Carpet Presented by Toyota and the NFL Draft Day Studio at NFL Draft Experience. The company also sponsored the future of football in the form of the NFL Draft Flag Football Training Camp and is building further on this by covering the NFL Flag registration kit fees for current players in the Pittsburgh Flag Football League (PFFL), coed youth and high-school girls leagues to expand access and growth at the grassroots level.
Sponsorship is important to generate revenue for the league and its teams, and it also encourages fans to engage with the NFL more. Meanwhile, sponsors get in front of millions of eyeballs and access to markets they might not have previously. It’s a win for both parties.
