As the “race” to become the next big ZYN competitor surges on, many nicotine pouch companies are turning to a more literal kind of racing to help get their name out there. Many brands now have partnerships in the sports world, including VELO, Grizzly, and Zone. Auto racing remains the most popular option for collaborations, but FRE partnered with Professional Bull Riders this year, reflecting further possibilities.
This report takes a closer look at some recent collaborations and the long history between the worlds of nicotine and tobacco and certain sports.
Key Takeaways:
- New developments for 2025 include VELO’s continued collaboration with McLaren F1 and Grizzly’s NASCAR sponsorships.
- Other nicotine pouch brands that have embraced collaborations with sports companies include ZYN, Sesh, and zone.
- There is a long-running tradition of tobacco and smokeless tobacco companies sponsoring auto racing and other sports.
- These collaborations have received some criticism.
FRE Partners with Professional Bull Riders
FRE pouches have been gaining favor among Prilla customers recently, and they’re making headlines thanks to the wide range of nicotine strengths they offer in fruity flavors (check out our market report to learn more).
They were the original nicotine pouch product of Turning Point Brands (TPB), the company behind ALP.
Now, the brand has made news for a separate reason — it was announced in July 2025 that FRE has partnered with Professional Bull Riders (PBR), an international league for bull-riding. FRE is set to be the official sponsor of the PBR’s Unleash the Beast series, meaning its branding will be displayed during rodeos. The partnership will also involve various fan engagement efforts, such as the FRE Challenge Button (a way for bull riders to request a judges’ review).
It’s the largest sports sponsorship for the brand, and is set to last for multiple years.
VELO Continues Collaboration with McLaren F1
Another major sports sponsorship story for 2025 has been the continued collaboration between VELO pouches and McLaren.
This duo dates back to 2019, when VELO maker British American Tobacco agreed a partnership with McLaren, which was then extended in 2024.
The collaboration is such a big deal that VELO even released a limited edition product to celebrate it, the VELO x McLaren Formula 1 Team Limited Edition Tin. Its can design features orange and black stripes (the same colors used by McLaren in racing), and the product comes as a tin that contains five cans inside — meaning there are 100 pouches inside. This differentiates it from standard VELO products.
Another development in the partnership this year was the “Live Your Fandom” campaign, which gave nine people the chance to spend a day with the McLaren Formula 1 Team.
Grizzly Expands Sponsorship with NASCAR
In January 2025, Grizzly sponsored Ty Dillon’s No.10 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series season across nine races.
Then, in August, it was announced that Grizzly was expanding its partnership to sponsor an additional car, AJ Allmendinger’s No. 16 Chevrolet.
Grizzly pouches are made by the American Snuff Company, which is an affiliate of RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co — a company with a history of more than 30 years as a NASCAR Cup Series naming rights sponsor.
Other Brands with Sports Partnerships
Many more pouch brands have established sports partnerships.
Some of the most notable include:
- ZYN pouches sponsoring Ryan Beat in his Stadium Super Tracks (SST) round in 2023
- zone pouches being the anchor partner for Kyle Busch and the No.8 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2024
- Lucy Breakers sponsoring Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing driver Riley Herbst in the NASCAR 2025 season
- Sesh nicotine pouches sponsoring Patrick Emerling in the NASCAR Xfinity Series
- 2One pouches signing a sponsorship deal with MBM Motorsports for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series
These partnerships generally involve brands having their branding appear on uniforms and cars (or equivalent equipment), and they also get the chance to show off their collaborations on social media. In some cases, more innovative advertising methods have been used, such as the FRE button mentioned earlier.
Some race drivers have also posted about pouch brands on their own social media accounts. For instance, race car driver Noah Gragson posted a reference to LUCY pouches on his personal Instagram account, although there is no indication he has a partnership with them.
History of Sports and Nicotine Partnerships
The practice of tobacco companies marketing through certain types of sporting events has a long history. In the 1950s, many cigarette brands sponsored teams and drivers in Formula One. Then, in the 1968 South African Grand Prix, a Formula One team sponsored by Gunston cigarettes became the first to have cars in the livery painted in the sponsor’s color.
Smokeless tobacco brand Skoal famously had various auto racing sponsorships in the 1980s and 1990s. Other smokeless tobacco products have historically been visible at sporting events, such as motorcycle racing, bull riding, and rodeos.
This era came to an end when US authorities passed various regulations to limit the practice. Most significantly, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (TCA) of 2009 stopped smokeless tobacco brands from being able to sponsor any sports in the US.
This doesn’t apply to nicotine products free from tobacco leaves, so many pouch brands have established sponsorships in the last few years.
However, some sports in the US have their own rules. For example, the NFL considers nicotine pouches to be tobacco-related products and prohibits their use during games. It has issued warning letters to players who have used pouches.
Controversy Surrounding Nicotine Pouch Sports Sponsorships
There has been some criticism of nicotine pouches’ sports sponsorships, with some arguing they introduce the products to a wider audience. In particular, the high youth audience for auto racing could increase exposure to young people, which is a major concern to regulators.
However, the Tobacco Control Act (TCA) legislation does not prohibit nicotine pouch brands from participating in these kinds of sponsorships. It’s possible these rules could change in the future.
A separate concern is that ZYN is the only nicotine pouch brand to receive marketing authorization from the FDA so far (although there is an ongoing pilot program to speed up the process for more brands). Still, even brands without authorization need to avoid youth exposure.
