D.G. Yuengling & Son, which has a registered trademark on the phrase “America’s oldest brewery,” on Wednesday unveiled the return of its contest series with DraftKings.
The announcement comes one day before the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament tips off Thursday.
DraftKings and Yuengling said in a statement their partnership marks another year of bringing sports- and beer-lovers together through contests and memorable prizes that will run until the end of the year.
March hoops kicks off the collaboration, with DraftKings naming Yuengling the exclusive sponsor of the “Yuengling Bracket Battle,” which will run from March 13 to April 4.
Eligible fans will have the opportunity to make free picks at the start of the tournament and compete for $60,000 in cash prizes.
Fans also will be able to take part in the college basketball action up to eight times throughout the series with an exclusive, free-to-enter “Yuengling Bracket Pick’em” contest series for a shot to win up to $40,000 in prizes.
As part of the collaboration, Yuengling said it will roll out a co-branded look with DraftKings-branded point-of-sale items across Yuengling’s 23-state footprint. This will include limited-time branding on beer displays of Yuengling’s Traditional Lager packs, Light Lager 99, Golden Pilsner and Black & Tan, with marketing messages encouraging customers to play the Yuengling DraftKings contests for free.
“As America’s oldest brewery, we are always looking for ways we can provide fun beer drinking experiences that speak to our fans’ greatest passions,” Wendy Yuengling, 6th generation family member and Chief Administrative Officer, said in a statement. “When we saw how much consumers and retailers enjoyed our basketball collaboration last year, we did not want to miss the opportunity to work with DraftKings again, in association with our flagship Lager brand, and make unforgettable sports moments together.”
