Mountain Dew Baja Blast Named Official Soft Drink of MLB Through 2026
- US soft drinks brand Mountain Dew Baja Blast is stepping up to the plate as the official soft drink of Major League Baseball (MLB), beginning with the 2026...
- The agreement brings prominent branding for Mountain Dew Baja Blast to all MLB stadiums across the United States and Canada throughout the 2026 campaign.
- A key component of the partnership will be a season-long promotion, dubbed ‘Get a Baja for a Blast,’ centered around home runs.
US soft drinks brand Mountain Dew Baja Blast is stepping up to the plate as the official soft drink of Major League Baseball (MLB), beginning with the 2026 season. The multi-year partnership, announced on Friday, , extends PepsiCo’s long-standing relationship with the league and marks the first time a non-cola beverage will hold the title of MLB’s lead carbonated soft drink.
The agreement brings prominent branding for Mountain Dew Baja Blast to all MLB stadiums across the United States and Canada throughout the campaign. PepsiCo, the parent company of Mountain Dew, also confirmed the continued partnership of Gatorade, the league’s official sports drink since .
A key component of the partnership will be a season-long promotion, dubbed ‘Get a Baja for a Blast,’ centered around home runs. Details of the program, which will offer rewards to fans based on long-distance hits, will be released soon at BajaBlastHomeRuns.com. This activation strategy aims to capitalize on the excitement surrounding one of baseball’s most iconic plays.
“Mountain Dew Baja Blast brings the same electrifying energy to baseball that fans feel with every sip of our tropical citrus soda – whether it’s at first pitch, during a seventh inning stretch, or in the middle of a late game rally,” said Mark Kirkham, Chief Marketing Officer, PepsiCo Beverages U.S. “As the official soft drink sponsor of MLB, we’re excited to fuel fans’ passion for the game all season long.”
The deal ends a six-year period where MLB lacked a dedicated soda sponsor. According to Uzma Rawn Dowler, MLB Chief Marketing Officer & Senior Vice President, Global Corporate Partnerships, the partnership is a natural fit. “Game day is about energy, excitement, and being part of something bigger – and Mountain Dew gets that.”
The timing of the agreement is particularly noteworthy, coinciding with a period of growth for MLB in key demographics. League officials noted “double-digit” viewership increases across broadcast partners in the season among younger audiences, specifically those aged 17 and under and 18-34, potentially influenced by recent rule changes designed to accelerate the pace of play. PepsiCo’s marketing strategy will likely focus on capturing these growing segments.
The MLB regular season is scheduled to begin on and conclude on , followed by the postseason playoffs and World Series, which could extend to . The partnership launch also aligns with a significant shift in MLB’s media rights landscape.
This year marks the beginning of a new three-year media rights cycle, with a diverse group of broadcasters including Disney’s ESPN, Comcast’s NBCUniversal, Fox, Warner Bros. Discovery’s TBS, and streaming giant Netflix all securing broadcast packages through . ESPN will continue to broadcast 30 nationally televised games, including key events like the Memorial Day game and the Little League Classic.
In a notable move, ESPN has also acquired the rights to sell MLB.TV, the league’s out-of-market viewership offering, across its digital and streaming platforms. Over 150 out-of-market games will be streamed throughout the season. NBCUniversal has secured the Sunday Night Baseball slot, previously held by ESPN, along with the Sunday Leadoff game and all four wild-card playoff games. Netflix will debut live MLB coverage with a singular opening night game each year, along with the Home Run Derby and the return of the MLB at Field of Dreams game in .
Beyond these new arrangements, Fox and TBS maintain their existing national broadcast deals through , contributing significantly to the league’s overall media revenue. Fox pays $714.3 million annually, while TBS contributes $470 million per year.
The partnership between Mountain Dew Baja Blast and MLB represents a strategic alignment between a popular beverage brand and a growing sports league, poised to capitalize on the energy and excitement of the game and connect with a diverse and expanding fanbase.