{
  "id": 9343860,
  "title": "Red Bull spent £1.3bn on athletes like Stokes, Verstappen and Neymar in 2025",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/red-bull-spent-1-3bn-on-athletes-like-stokes-verstappen-and-neymar-in",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-23T13:38:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "City AM",
    "slug": "city-am",
    "url": "https://www.cityam.com/red-bull-spent-1-3bn-on-athletes-like-stokes-verstappen-and-neymar-in-2025/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In 2025, energy drink giant Red Bull spent an estimated £1.3 billion on athlete endorsements, a significant increase from the previous year. The Austrian conglomerate, which owns Red Bull GmbH, reported a 12% rise in net income to over £1.6 billion for the same period, according to an annual report filed with the Austrian corporate registry. The surge in sponsorship costs accounted for 48% of Red Bull's total marketing expenses, with traditional advertising and other marketing channels making up the remaining 52%.\n\nRed Bull's most notable involvement in sports is its Formula 1 racing team, but the company is also a significant supporter of extreme sports and owns a multi-club football operation. This operation includes Premier League side Leeds United, French team Paris FC, and energy drink-branded teams in Leipzig, Salzburg, and New York. Last year, the group completed a takeover of Prem Rugby side Newcastle Red Bulls, further expanding its presence in the sports world. Red Bull is also active in ice hockey and cycling.\n\nThe energy drink brand's financial filings show that sales in the US were a major driver of growth, but the company is currently embroiled in an antitrust investigation in Europe, which was initiated in 2025. Red Bull's athlete roster includes a diverse range of sports figures, such as former England Test cricket captain Ben Stokes, pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis, footballers Neymar Jr and Trent Alexander-Arnold, skier Eileen Gu, and cyclists Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock. Just last month, the company organized a promotional event at the Silverstone race track, where Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen raced and overtook 100 karters.",
  "summary": "Red Bull spent £1.3bn on athletes like Ben Stokes marketing its energy drinks last year as the firm reported a jump in sponsorship costs. Red Bull GmbH, the Austrian conglomerate behind the wing-giving libation, saw its net income rise by 12 per cent in 2025 to over £1.6bn, according to an annual report filed with [...]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}