Alice Sweitzer is an independent cultural strategist based in Berlin and New York City.

We’re witnessing the ‘wellnessification’ of absolutely everything. Beyond boosting their physical health with fitness and nutrition, people are looking for a path to being well in all aspects of their lives.

Being+

It's a Saturday afternoon in October, and the tailgate lot outside Lambeau Field, home of the 

, is alive with pre-game energy. The air is crisp, the smell of hotdogs pervasive. Fans in cheese-head hats crack open coolers, pulling out beer after beer. But something's different this year. A younger fan reaches into a cooler and pulls out an Athletic Brewing non-alcoholic beer – something that would have once been considered a rogue choice. Fast forward to the fourth quarter inside Lambeau's bowl, and alcohol sales have stopped after the third quarter – a policy in place since the early 2000s to curb stadium violence. Soon, yellow balloons begin floating up from the aptly named Section Yellow, a designated sober fan zone founded in 2020, rising into the bowl of Lambeau Field. 

Sports Destination Management

 The color signals sobriety support, as fans who choose not to drink are marking their place in the experience 

 choosing to participate on their own terms.

This moment would have been unthinkable to previous generations of sports fans. Since the end of Prohibition, beer had been the default beverage at American sporting events. Anheuser-Busch's Super Bowl exclusivity deal ran from the late 1980s until 2023, a testament to the chokehold that alcohol maintained within sports culture. 

VinePair

But in 2025, the paradigm is shifting. During the 2025 NFL opening weekend, beer sales declined, while RTDs rose by 37.6% and non-alcoholic options jumped by 39.7%. 

BeerBoard

While 55 out of 68 Power Five conference schools now sell alcohol in their stadiums, the variety of what they’re selling has likely changed: alongside a wider selection of alcohol including craft beers, hard seltzers, and spirits, non-alcoholic options now share shelf space with traditional lagers. 

Today's younger fans are the ones rewriting the script. Gens Z and Y bring new priorities: wellness, performance optimization, and intentionality. In 2025, 65% of Gen Z planned to drink less, while 39% aimed for a completely dry lifestyle. 

Circana

More broadly, the number of Americans who drink alcohol has dropped to 54%, confirming this isn't just a youth phenomenon but a broader cultural shift. 

Gallup

 Drinking less doesn't mean drinking nothing; today's fans want options: a craft IPA for the first quarter, a pre-mixed cocktail during the second half, and maybe a non-alcoholic option towards the game’s close as they mentally prepare themselves for going home. Moderation isn't necessarily abstinence but a new iteration of contemporary choice architecture, where fans control the pace, intensity, and duration of their interactions with drinking rather than letting alcohol overwhelm the entire experience. Beer isn't disappearing from stadiums altogether, but its monopoly on fan culture is certainly an uncertain thing.

Ten years ago, a fan approaching a stadium concession stand likely had limited drinking options: Bud Light, Coors Light, or Miller Lite. In 2025, that same stand looks completely different. There's a craft beer wall offering 77+ options at the White Sox stadium in Chicago, a hard seltzer section, a refrigerator stocked with non-alcoholic beers and ready-to-drink cocktails. 

ABV Chicago

Time gone, stadiums pushed beer, often from a single dominant brand with exclusive pouring rights. But in 2023, beer's share of MLB sponsorship deals had dropped to 45%, tying it up with a combined share of pre-made cocktails and spirits. 

SponsorUnited

For decades, beer operated as the unchallenged default, but preferences are shifting as men, in particular, reflect on their relationship with alcohol; 21% admit they’re more prone to over-imbibing, in comparison with just 16% of women. 

Pew Research Center

Chris Furnari, senior communications manager at 

, identifies this as an evolution in fan behavior, with fans becoming more mindful while still appreciating the game-day ritual. "For decades, having a beer at a sporting event meant you faced a binary choice: alcohol or nothing. Today's fans, especially the younger generation, expect real variety and the flexibility to move between full-strength and non-alcoholic brews during the same occasion," he explains. “And while the majority of Athletic’s drinkers still consume alcohol, they've evolved how they approach those moments.” 

Interview with Chris Furnari conducted by the author

 Athletic itself has defined three core occasions – “chaser, pacer, replacer” – that reflect how people actually navigate drinking: alternating between a non-alcoholic beer and a craft IPA, pacing consumption with seltzers or spirits between innings, or replacing alcohol entirely. The same fluidity applies across events; fans mix and match based on the occasion, the timing, and their goals for the day.

And its influence has already translated into strategic partnerships. Athletic Brewing has secured a multiyear deal with the Kansas City Current of the NWSL, while 

, a spirits-based hard seltzer, has partnered with the PGA to create the High Noon Clubhouse – a premium bar experience that doesn’t require traditional beer consumption. 

 These partnerships signal optimization, performance, and flexibility as a new sponsorship category. Craft breweries offer hyperlocal stories, distinctive labels, and experimental flavors that signal taste and discovery in a way mass-market lagers never could. Spirits signal elevated celebration, RTDs promise convenience, non-alcoholic options enable sustained presence – all of it situational and identity-bound. Exclusive pouring rights are becoming culturally obsolete as fans no longer want to lay their eggs in one basket, instead gravitating toward systems that accommodate their fluid preferences.

The old model was simple: Drink to have fun, recover tomorrow. The new model flips the script: Drink to stay in the experience. Gen Z drinks the least of any generation, but when they do drink, they're deliberate. When choosing non-alcoholic options, 44% focus on low-sugar content, and 26% prioritize calorie count. 

Opeepl

 But optimization is no longer about what needs to be avoided but having greater choice: a barrel-aged stout for flavor complexity, a premium tequila cocktail for elevated celebration, a functional NA beer for sustained energy. Each choice serves a specific goal.

Chris Marshall, founder of Sans Bar, the first non-alcoholic bar in the US, traces this shift to Gen Z’s immersion in social media. “Kids have a different relation to alcohol than previous generations,” he shares. “They grew up with the consequence of being caught on camera; nobody wants to risk social embarrassment.” 

Interview with Chris Marshall conducted by the author

 The rise of offline venues and videos of Gen Zers standing, motionless, at nightclubs for fear of being ‘perceived’ highlights just how much this generation is aware of their visibility. 

The Spirits Business

Monocle

 But when it comes to the wellness mindset, it isn't just about physical health but also about aligning consumption with long-term goals, sustaining energy, and staying present. Non-alcoholic beer brands are positioned accordingly. AB InBev's non-alcoholic lines including 

 emphasize functional benefits aligned with active lifestyles: low calories, no dehydration – positioning NA beer as compatible with wellness and performance goals. Non-alcoholic beer is making its presence felt, with 

Global Drinks Intel

PR Newswire

But moderation is more than just wellness and health – it’s also rethinking what it means to go out and celebrate. 

 at Lambeau Field has expanded to other NFL teams, including the Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, and New England Patriots, spilling over to college campuses such as LSU, the University of Texas, and the University of Florida, which now host alcohol-free tailgates for the sober-curious. 

 Marshall praises the shift in how these celebrations are being observed. "People just want to be together and learn how to celebrate life,” he observes. “Non-alcoholic beverage brands are changing how we celebrate the moment, how we celebrate each other. It's about connection and immediacy, the social totems that help us celebrate, just like sports." 

From monolithic fandom to pluralistic expectation

The stadium experience was historically designed for one kind of fan: male, beer-drinking, and willing to tolerate limited options. That type of fan is no longer the only sports demographic for brands to consider; 84% of female sports fans are key decision makers in sports-related purchases, yet 66% believe sports organizations do not understand or appeal to them. In fact, American women are actually more likely to binge-drink than men, a reversal of previous trends. 

JAMA

Wasserman

Women are watching, spending, and dissatisfied, yet stadium experiences are still designed for men. More broadly, Gen Zers are likely to feel that the experience is out of touch with their preferences; 74% use social media to learn about beverage trends, and 53% choose beverages specifically to stand out. 

Keurig Dr Pepper

The stadium infrastructure can often feel years behind what many fans are seeking for sports experiences. They rank the food and beverage experience as the most important element of the overall experience, second only to safety and environment. 

Oracle

Yet most stadiums still operate on a legacy model: beer-centric, alongside limited options designed for volume. Venues are still imagining a fan who drinks to get drunk – not a fan who enjoys a variety of refreshments to be enjoyed alongside the game. Zach Geballe observes the shift toward slower, more curated experiences, particularly at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, which offers high-end cocktails and a private members bar: the Crown Club. “While there’s no doubt that fans looking for the same kind of experience they’ve always had at a stadium or arena can still have it, it’s also true that these venues have become hotbeds of change and innovation,” he says. 

Some venues are responding, and the results reveal what happens when infrastructure catches up to expectations. Barclays Center's $100 million renovation includes the Modelo Bridge, a 57-foot bar accessible to all fans, and Gallagher Terrace, another premium club with sommeliers. 

Pollstar

 The venues reinventing the experience are creating spaces where a Gen Z fan can photograph a craft cocktail, a parent can grab a premium NA option, and a traditionalist can still get their beer – all without judgment, all within the same ecosystem. The stadiums that win create moments flexible enough to meet a diverse set of fans where they are, recognizing that pluralistic expectation isn't a trend to accommodate but a permanent recalibration.

Make options as diverse as the viewers themselves

The audience is diversifying; more women, more Gen Zers, and more varied identities and preferences are showing up to games or tuning in from home. Beverage offerings must reflect that reality. Bob Lynch, CEO of SponsorUnited, observes, "The influx of new, agile brands and diversification of spirits categories leveraging sponsorships and endorsements highlight a shift toward reaching and engaging audiences in more authentic and targeted ways." 

Beverage Industry

 Beverage brands should develop multiproduct ecosystems that serve different fans and different moments: full-strength, low-ABV, non-alcoholic, functional beverages, wine, craft cocktails. These products should be positioned as complementary, 

 as parts of the same brand family, for instance. Brands can sponsor beverage zones that offer variety under one branded umbrella, signaling inclusivity rather than dominance. For brands, this means moving away from exclusive single-brand deals toward category-spanning partnerships that emphasize occasion-based and identity-based choice.

Celebration remains central to sports fandom – 37% of Americans cite watching sports games as one of the top four occasions for beer consumption – but the codes of celebration are changing. 

YouGov

 This isn't about eliminating fun but recognizing that celebration doesn't have to mean losing control. "Fans may be 'redefining' what it means to enjoy a game, but the rituals themselves haven't changed. Tailgates, celebrations, and pub traditions are all still happening with choices that fit every lifestyle," explains Chris Furnari. 

 Non-alcoholic and low-ABV can be framed as tools for sustained celebration, not compromises. Messaging should emphasize staying in the moment longer, celebrating without regret, and being present for the whole experience. 

Athletic Brewing's partnership with USC Trojans

 positions non-alcoholic beer as "for student-athletes and fans who want a beer alternative without sacrificing performance," reframing celebration around peak experience rather than peak intoxication. For strategists, the opportunity lies in targeting moments where fans want to celebrate and stay sharp: tailgates before early games, family outings, and multiday festivals.

Gen Zers, Gen Yers, and female fans expect beverage offerings to amplify that experience, not just service it. Among Gens Z and Y, 75% customize their beverages, signaling that personalization and curation are expectations. 

 Brands must design for immersion, shareability, and lingering, and not transactional efficiency. The opportunity lies in creating destination zones that become part of the event narrative. 

, for instance, has transformed a generic sports bar into an open-air social destination with 24 beers on tap, 50 bottled options, and an industrial-chic design explicitly aimed at younger adult fans. 

The Kansas City Star

 These spaces speak to specific tastes and interests and, as curated environments, allow for shareable experiences. For non-beverage lifestyle brands, beverage partnerships offer a low-barrier entry into sports culture and align with experiential values. As Chris Furnari puts it, "In the stands, at home, or at the pub, everyone deserves a brew that meets them where they are and keeps them part of the experience." 

In the MLB, beer sponsorship dropped to a 

 deal share in 2023, tying it up with the combined share of ready-to-drink cocktails and spirits

During the 2025 NFL opening weekend, on-premise beer sales declined while RTDs rose by 

The number of Americans who drink alcohol has dropped to 

Beer's stadium dominance is fracturing as younger fans demand diverse portfolios of craft beers, hard seltzers, spirits, and non-alcoholic options that speak to fluid consumption behaviors

The self-optimizing fan treats beverage choice as a strategic tool for performance, presence, and intentionality – not just intoxication or abstinence

Gen Z and female fans expect hypercurated, shareable experiences that reflect their values, forcing venues and brands to redesign offerings or risk irrelevance

Senior communications manager at Athletic Brewing Company, key in positioning non-alcoholic craft brews in sports venues.

Founder of Sans Bar, pioneering alcohol-free social spaces and leading the sober-curious movement.

Gen Z (born 1997-2010)

Gen Y (born 1982-1996)

United States

Eating and Drinking

Beer and cider

Spirits and wine

Live broadcasts and events

Physical health

American sports fans are rewriting the rules of game-day drinking. As beer's sports monopoly crumbles, a new era of portfolio consumption has emerged, spanning craft brews, spirits, RTDs, and non-alcoholic options driven by Gen Z's demand for choice and self-optimization.

Analysis

Alice Sweitzer

Chris Furnari

Chris Marshall

Related Macro Behaviours

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