Hershey Sweetens, Expands Alliance With NCAA, March Madness, Final Four
Thursday, March 30, 2023 at 08:02PM By Barry Janoff
March 30, 2023: With the Men’s Final Four and Women’s Final Four in play, Hershey has sweetened its presence by signing a six-year extension as the “official confectionery partner” of the NCAA.
Hershey, an official partner of the NCAA since 2009, said the alliance now extends beyond Reese’s to include salty snack brands Dot's Homestyle Pretzels and SkinnyPop Popcorn as the “official pretzel and popcorn partner" of the NCAA.
Financial details of the extension were not shared.
The deal was facilitated by CBS Sports and Warner Bros. Discovery Sport, which jointly manage and collaborate on the NCAA's Corporate Champions and Partners program.
“NCAA March Madness is bursting with excitement, fun and arguably the most passionate sports fans, and we're thrilled that Hershey snacks will be part of the action for years to come," Marlene Creighton, chief sales officer, The Hershey Co., said via the company.
"Reese's will bring its iconic pairing of chocolate and peanut butter to the Final Four, and we're excited to pair salty snacks like SkinnyPop Popcorn and Dot's Homestyle Pretzels with future NCAA game day moments too."
Reese's activities at the 2023 Men's Final Four in Houston include the National Assn. of Basketball Coaches-Reese's College All-Star Game (March 31) in NRG Stadium (CBS Sports Network), which features the top NCAA Div. I senior college basketball student-athletes from across the country.
Reese's will also host a same-day kick-off to Final Four weekend with Reese's Final Four Friday (March 31) in NRG Stadium, free to the public and featuring each of the Final Four teams in their final open practice before the National semifinal games (April 1).
The Hershey Co. said it would “continue to leverage the relationship with advertising, including social and digital media, in-store promotions and on-site activations in Final Four markets.”
"We are extremely pleased that Hershey's — and its brand Reese's — has renewed its NCAA corporate partnership, and will continue to support student-athletes, our championships and our fan events," Dan Gavitt, NCAA svp-basketball, said via the organization.
"Hershey's has one of the most well-known, respected and recognized brands in Corporate America and worldwide. As one of our longtime partners, we thank Hershey's and look forward to working with them in the NCAA Corporate Partner Program for many years to come."
NCAA Corporate Champions include AT&T, Capital One and Coca-Cola.
NCAA Corporate Partners include Aflac, Buffalo Wild Wings, Buick, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Great Clips, Invesco, LG, Marriott Bonvoy, Nabisco, Nissan, Pizza Hut, Reese’s, Unilever and Wendy’s.
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