PepsiCo's flagship global brands Lay's, Gatorade and Pepsi MAX/Pepsi are joining forces with the UEFA Champions League, the company announced yesterday.

PepsiCo's partnership with European soccer's premier club event will officially begin on July 1, before the start of the 2015-16 season. Lay's, Gatorade and Pepsi MAX/Pepsi will serve as lead brands for the tournament. In addition, PepsiCo will also integrate Doritos, Lipton and 7UP brands into the sponsorship program.

"Today's announcement takes PepsiCo's long-standing relationship with great football to another level," said Ramon Laguarta, PepsiCo Europe CEO. "The UEFA Champions League is without a doubt one of the most prestigious football competitions in the world and with more than a billion fans watching the matches every season this new partnership offers unprecedented opportunities for both parties. We're passionate about football and we can't wait to share that passion with UEFA Champions League fans in Europe and around the world."

He said PepsiCo's food and beverage brands, combined with the power of the UEFA Champions League, are a perfect fit.

"In joining forces we can create great opportunities for friends and families to come together and enjoy themselves," he said.

"Together we will take the union between football and entertainment to new heights and UEFA Champions League fans can expect some fantastic new experiences from Lay's, Gatorade, Pepsi MAX and Pepsi as we head into the 2015-16 season. Stay tuned!"

Commenting on the agreement, Guy-Laurent Epstein, UEFA Events SA marketing director, said: "We are delighted to welcome PepsiCo as an official partner of the UEFA Champions League. PepsiCo is a truly global partner and we are excited to be working closely with them on engaging fans across the world through innovative marketing activations, while also benefiting from their extensive experience in the entertainment area to further enhance the UEFA Champions League brand."

The UEFA Champions League final is one of the world's most watched annual sporting event. The final on Saturday (June 6) was aired in more than 200 countries and regions, reaching an estimated 400 million viewers, with an anticipated average live match viewer ship of 180 million. The season from the playoffs to the final runs over 17 match weeks with a total of 145 games.

The league provides more than 110,000 hours of TV content over a season and audiences are significant regionally and globally, with about 1.1 billion viewers of live match coverage worldwide.

Alongside its long-standing passion for soccer, PepsiCo also has a strong history of forging partnerships with world-class sports leagues to develop engaging, cutting-edge content and marketing programs.

PepsiCo's other sports league partners include the National Basketball Association, National Football League, National Hockey League, Major League Baseball, the Indian Premier League and the International Cricket Council.