As we head back to work and kick off a new year, we're thrilled to unveil the 100 most searched brands by sponsorship executives on the SponsorUnited platform in 2023.

Dunkin' clinched the top spot after its second-place showing in 2022, closing the year with more than 150 partnerships––including new deals with Ben Affleck, Zay Flowers, and the Charlotte Hornets. The donut-and-coffee dynamo racked up over 4M interactions last year across all social media.

Celsius soared to 4th on the list from 71st the prior year, having grown its endorsement portfolio nearly 25% in 2023. The energy drink brand also boosted its social media presence, partnering with influencers like Khaby Lame, Josh Richards, Jake Paul, and Brooke Monk, among others. Celsius commands 12% of the branded social media landscape within the energy drink category with more than 20M in total engagement, closely trailing Red Bull and Monster Energy.  

Speaking of non-alcoholic beverages, PRIME Hydration made a splash in the sports drink category in 2023, expanding its sponsorship stable by 1,200% to become the 17th most searched brand on our list. Its owners, influencers Logan Paul and KSI, used their own massive social media clout and over 30 other properties to propel total branded engagement to more than 75M, while signing deals with high-profile organizations including Arsenal, FC Barcelona, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the UFC. Though Gatorade and BodyArmor dominate the category number of sponsorships, PRIME reigns supreme on social media, with nearly 50% of the category's total engagement, eclipsing the 2nd brand by more than 50M branded interactions.

Meanwhile, home repair app Frontdoor focused its sponsorship strategy on baseball and broadcast media last year, partnering with MLB teams' regional networks and ESPN to air its ad featuring National League 2023 MVP, Ronald Acuna Jr., during the season's opening week. Frontdoor scored the 60th spot on our list in 2023, after growing its endorsements from one radio deal in 2022 to more than 40 partnerships in 2023. 

Last year was a rough one for cryptocurrency companies, which embarked on a sponsorship blitz in recent years with a wide array of sports teams, athletes, and other buzzy entities. Following the collapse of crypto darling FTX in November 2022 and the subsequent decline of the entire sector, many of these marquee partnerships were paused or ended. While Crypto.com and FTX ranked 5th and 7th, respectively, among our top 10 most searched brands in 2022, not a single crypto brand made the top 100 in 2023. Coinbase scored highest of all crypto companies at #361––a far fall from its 22nd-place finish the previous year. 

Other notable partnerships of 2023:

American Express x Formula One: American Express announced a multi-year partnership with Formula One to become the Official Payments Partner of F1 in the Americas.

T-Mobile x MLB: T-Mobile and Major League Baseball announced a new long-term deal, creating more 5G experiences for fans.

Red Bull x Formula One: Red Bull announced as presenting partner for the Formula 1 Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Nike x Aaron Judge: New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge signed a footwear and apparel deal with Jordan Brand.

Liquid Death x F1 Las Vegas: Liquid Death announced as Official Event Partner of the Formula 1 Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Prime Hydration x UFC: UFC announced Global Marketing Partnership with Prime Hydration.

Raising Cane's x Post Malone x Dallas Cowboys: Post Malone and the Dallas Cowboys team up with Raising Cane's to open a first-of-its-kind restaurant in Cowboys Country.

DUDE Products x Cleveland Browns: The Cleveland Browns unveil a new white alternate throwback helmet for 2023 presented by DUDE Wipes.

BodyArmor x Joe Burrow: Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow signed a multi-year deal with BodyArmor.

DraftKings x NFL: DraftKings takes over Presenting Sponsorship of NFL's RedZone Show.