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NASCAR: Monster Energy extends Cup Series entitlement deal

By Alex Herbst

LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 01: Staff reveal the NASCAR and Monster Energy logos during a press conference as NASCAR and Monster Energy announce premier series entitlement partnership at Wynn Las Vegas on December 1, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Monster Energy, which will begin its tenure as naming rights partner on Jan. 1, 2017, will become only the third company to serve as the entitlement sponsor in NASCAR premier series history, following RJ Reynolds and Sprint/Nextel. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 01: Staff reveal the NASCAR and Monster Energy logos during a press conference as NASCAR and Monster Energy announce premier series entitlement partnership at Wynn Las Vegas on December 1, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Monster Energy, which will begin its tenure as naming rights partner on Jan. 1, 2017, will become only the third company to serve as the entitlement sponsor in NASCAR premier series history, following RJ Reynolds and Sprint/Nextel. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images) /
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NASCAR and Monster Energy will announce today an extension of their entitlement deal for the Cup Series, according to multiple reports.

The once shaky deal that NASCAR had made with Monster Energy to become their next entitlement sponsor of the Cup Series appears to be on more solid footing now. Series officials and the energy drink provider will announce on Tuesday an extension of their deal, according to multiple reports.

SportsBusinessDaily was the first to report the announcement, with NBC Sports and ESPN later confirming the news. It remains unknown at this time how long the extension will be for, but it could be another two-year deal to follow up on the original deal made early in 2017. Monster Energy replaced long-time Cup Series sponsor Sprint as series entitlement partner at the end of 2016.

Reports began to surface as early as March of a potential extension between the two parties. Brian France, Chairman of NASCAR, expressed optimism earlier this season about the partnership for the future, according to NBC Sports.

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"The promises they’ve made, they’ve kept, with the young demo, edgy shows, edgy marketing, putting our drivers in different places in different light. That’s what we want. They’ve delivered on that. And like anything else, I think it will get better. This is also a hard program. It’s a complicated program. It’s the best program, but to execute across all these platforms, it’s a big, big sport. There’s nothing like it, so you don’t get an opportunity to just go, well, we’ll do it like that guy did it or this guy does it over here because nobody can have, today anyway, in a major sports league, an entitlement position like this, so it’s a great program ‑‑ and I think it will get better next year."

Keeping Monster Energy as the Cup Series’ namesake sponsor is a key victory for the sport in 2018. NASCAR did not want to be put in the position of trying to find another title sponsor just one year removed from making the deal with their latest partner. There could have been other suitors potentially, including Kroger, Coca-Cola, and Verizon, but keeping their current agreement in place works even better for the sport as a whole.

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Are you excited to see Monster Energy sticking around as the NASCAR Cup Series title sponsor? Will they increase their support and activation in the series with the new deal? Comment below with your thoughts and stay tuned to Beyond The Flag for more on this developing NASCAR story.

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