Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have strengthened their commercial portfolio by announcing a multi-season partnership with Sprite. Which will serve as the franchise’s official beverage partner for three years starting IPL 2026.
The agreement gives Sprite a premium presence in one of the world’s most valuable cricket leagues. As part of the partnership, the globally recognised beverage brand under The Coca-Cola Company will receive full pouring rights, along with extensive visibility across LSG’s matchday operations, digital platforms, and in-stadium fan engagement experiences.
Such a partnership is in part made possible by the regional Coca-Cola bottlers SLMG Beverages and Moon Beverages. Thus mirroring the company’s large scale strategy to spread its impact in Uttar Pradesh which is notably a major growth market for the brand.
One of the main points of the brand “Thand Rakh” from Sprite, which practically was about staying cool under any kind of pressure, fits very well with LSG’s idea of being clear and strong even in the most challenging and exciting IPL moments.
Sumeli Chatterjee, Category Head, Sparkling Flavours India & Southwest Asia at The Coca-Cola Company, said:
“Sprite is thrilled to partner with Lucknow Super Giants and celebrate the unstoppable cricket passion that electrifies fans. ”This association brings Sprite’s refreshing ‘Thand Rakh’ proposition to the high-impact IPL platform, creating unique experiences for audiences. It also underlines our long-term commitment to Uttar Pradesh, where we continue to invest in sustainability and consumer engagement initiatives.”
LSG CEO Vinay Chopra added:
“At LSG, we collaborate with brands that share our drive to push boundaries and elevate the experience for our fans. Sprite fits perfectly because this team thrives on staying cool under pressure. Together, we look forward to delivering a season full of moments that inspire and excite supporters on and off the field.”
The partnership adds a global soft drink giant to LSG’s growing sponsorship roster, which already features brands from the financial services, FMCG, technology, fantasy sports, and packaged water sectors. For Sprite, the IPL association offers deep access to a young, high-consumption audience at a time when beverage companies are scaling up regional expansion and experiential marketing.
The deal is also a reflection of an industry-wide trend: franchises are gradually leaning towards long-term partnerships which provide integrated branding, deeper storytelling, and the possibility of expanding fan engagements across various platforms.
LSG will be coming to the 2026 camp with good cricketing momentum as they have managed to finish mid-table in 2025. The franchise led by Rishabh Pant has kept a balanced squad consisting of Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Mayank Yadav, and Mohsin Khan along with Rishabh Pant. LSG have six slots to fill, of which four are for the overseas players, with a remaining purse of ₹22.95 crore for the 2026 auction.
Before IPL 2026, Sprite and LSG are not staying idle as they work on a multi-platform marketing campaign that would be instrumental in matchday experience enhancement and creating more fan touchpoints at the stadiums and through digital channels. This fan activation program is anticipated to be the main instrument of LSG’s fan engagement strategy for the next three seasons.
