NFL quarterbacks Drake Maye and Dak Prescott have each taken equity stakes in Athletic Brewing Company through multi-year athlete-owner agreements, the Milford, Conn.-based non-alcoholic brewer confirmed. The deals pair the brand's growing sports portfolio with two of professional football's most prominent active quarterbacks and launch simultaneously with a new creative campaign called "Athletic Fits."
The Campaign
The "Athletic Fits" campaign leans on the football concept of misdirection as its creative engine. In Maye's spots, fans lounge near his throwing session with lawn chairs, a grill, and a cooler of Athletic brews — their running commentary sounding like football analysis before the punchline lands. Prescott's executions are set at a backyard cookout; in one, guests appear to crowd around the veteran quarterback before revealing they're reaching for the NA beers in a nearby cooler. Both athletes voiced alignment with Athletic's active-lifestyle positioning, with Maye citing the company's "challenger mindset" and Prescott pointing to its long-term investment in American manufacturing, including dedicated breweries on both coasts.
Venue and Market Reach
For foodservice and hospitality operators, the signings signal continued momentum in on-premise NA beer placement. Athletic is already poured at more than 200 venues nationwide and available at over 75,000 retail locations, making it a fixture in stadium concessions, restaurant bars, and event catering programs. According to NielsenIQ data through August 8, 2026, Athletic holds more than 50% market share in NA craft beer, outselling the next 100 NA craft brands combined and leading its closest competitor by 44 share points — a dominance that gives on-premise buyers a clear category anchor when building non-alcoholic menus.
Bill Shufelt, Co-Founder and CEO of Athletic Brewing, called Maye and Prescott "elite competitors, natural-born leaders, and thoughtful businessmen" who reflect the brand's values around accountability and continuous improvement. The athlete-owner model — rather than a standard endorsement deal — ties both players to the company's long-term business trajectory, a structure that has become increasingly common as beverage brands compete for authentic sports credibility.
The partnerships extend an already wide sports footprint that spans professional football, soccer, baseball, lacrosse, hockey, college athletics, endurance events, and live music. For restaurant and bar operators tracking non-alcoholic beverage trends, Athletic's sustained investment in high-visibility athlete relationships reinforces NA beer's shift from niche offering to mainstream menu category. Operators looking to capture the sober-curious and health-conscious guest segment now have an additional marketing narrative to leverage when positioning NA options on draft lists and event menus.
Founded in 2018 by Shufelt and John Walker, Athletic pioneered a proprietary brewing process developed through hundreds of small-batch trials. The company produces nearly 50 NA beers annually, has earned more than 200 taste awards over the past decade, and ranks as a top 15 U.S. brewing company per the Brewers Association's 2025 Annual Craft Brewing Industry Production Report. Coverage of the broader NA beverage movement and its implications for restaurant beverage programs continues to grow as operators seek differentiated, inclusive menu options.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
