Newly promoted to the English Soccer League, Wrexham AFC has announced two new sponsors, with owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds releasing a typically self-deprecating ad to welcome STōK Cold Brew Coffee as the official stadium sponsor and Betty Buzz as its training kit sponsor.
The North Wales-based soccer club, which has just achieved promotion to League Two (confusingly, the fourth tier of English football), plays its home games at The Racecourse Ground, which claims to be the world’s oldest international stadium.
Since taking over the club, the Hollywood pair have brought international attention to the club from international media, bringing in sponsors such as TikTok, with the team even joining EA’s FIFA video game alongside soccer giants such as Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona.
The story of the team’s first season under the pair’s ownership found further international interest through the Amazon Prime series “Welcome to Wrexham,” set to return later this year, documenting the club’s dramatic season to return to The Football League for the first time in 15 years.
The U.S.-based, Danone-owned cold brew coffee brand (which isn’t available in the U.K.) will join the rising story of Wrexham AFC with a deal that will see the stadium become known as STōK Cae Ras / STōK Racecourse from July 1. The name change has been backed by the Club Advisory Board involving supporter representatives, the club has claimed.
To promote the news, the owners appear in a video that features the reaction of the players when they have their morning tea, unknowingly replaced by cold coffee. Spoiler: They don’t like it.
A statement released by McElhenney and Reynolds said: “We wanted a stadium sponsor that captured the vitality and energy of Wrexham Association Football Club while also, like Welsh, being a bit of a learning experience to say. STōK Cold Brew Coffee fit the bill perfectly. We’re incredibly excited and a little over-caffeinated.”
The partnership will extend beyond the stadium naming, with the brand also sponsoring the team’s first American tour.
“Some may wonder why a U.S.-based cold brew brand would sponsor a tea-drinking Welsh football team. The answer: STōK is all about bold moves,” said Brittney Polka, vp of ready-to-drink beverages at Danone North America. “We were captivated by the story of Wrexham—the team, the fans, and the community—and we’re honored to be welcomed into the Wrexham family. We’ll be cheering on the Red Dragons and raising our cold brews from afar.”
Meanwhile, premium drink mixer Betty Buzz, owned by Blake Lively, revealed its sponsorship this week too. The brand released a video narrated by Lively, who outlines the potential original choices for next season’s shirt design before settling for the “functional” shift that will bear its logo next season.
