Which Sports Are Red Bull Heavily Invested In?

Red Bull has long been synonymous with high-energy sports and pushing the limits of what’s possible. When their world-renowned slogan is “Gives You Wings,” it’s no surprise then that extreme sports have received plenty of funding from the Austrian energy giant. While our beloved Motocross has been transformed courtesy of the conglomerate’s involvement, plenty of other sports have also flourished.

Here are the three most prominent of them.

Extreme Sports

Red Bull’s roots in extreme sports run deep. The brand has been a stalwart supporter of motocross, sponsoring numerous events and athletes. One standout event is the Straight Rhythm, a unique, head-to-head competition that challenges riders to navigate a half-mile, straight rhythm section filled with jumps and obstacles.

Athletes like the legendary Tom Pagès have become synonymous with the brand. The iconic Frenchman is known for his innovative tricks and fearless approach, consistently raising the bar for what is possible on two wheels. His partnership with Red Bull has allowed him to explore new dimensions of the sport, performing groundbreaking tricks and capturing the imagination of fans worldwide.

Beyond motocross, there has been plenty of investment into other extreme sports, including skateboarding, snowboarding, and BMX, with additional funding helping nurture talent and bring these adrenaline-pumpers into the mainstream.

Formula One

Perhaps the one sport where Red Bull has made the biggest impact is Formula One. Since debuting a team in 2005, they’ve disrupted the status quo and gone on to become the dominant force on track. For the decade before them having their team, the Austrian company was heavily involved as a sponsor, primarily with the Sauber team. However, owner  Dietrich Mateschitz took things one step further when he bought the Jaguar team for just $1, as well as pledging a further $400m investment.

Just five years on from their maiden campaign, Sebastian Vettel became the youngest World Champion in history, beating teammate Mark Webber, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, and McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton at that year’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. He went on to reel off four titles on the spin in record-breaking fashion, only for current Red Bull man Max Verstappen to obliterate every previous record set.

The Flying Dutchman pipped seven-time champ Hamilton to the world championship in 2021 in controversial fashion, and since then he has gone on to dominate the sport with an iron fist. He has won the last two world championships convincingly, winning 35 of the 45 races held during those two campaigns and breaking plenty of records along the way.

This season, it looks as though Verstappen and Red Bull will add further silverware. The Dutch star is currently top of the championship standings with just five races remaining, sitting 57 points clear of second place Lando Norris. As such, the latest Bovada sports betting odds make the reigning triple world champion a short-priced -475 betting favorite to make it four and emulate his predecessor Vettel. Whether he can add to his tally and further solidify Red Bull’s ongoing involvement in the sport remains to be seen.

Football

Expanding its reach beyond motorsports and extreme sports, Red Bull has made significant strides in the football world. Just months on from purchasing the Jaguar F1 team, they then went on to purchase Austrian club SV Austria Salzburg, renaming it Red Bull Salzburg much to the dismay of purists the world over. Mateschitz didn’t care one bit, and he proceeded to pump money into the club, turning them into the dominant force in the Bundesliga, winning 14 of the 19 titles the team has competed for.

Red Bull have similarly acquired football teams the world over. The same year as their purchase of Salzburg, they also purchased the New York MetroStars, renaming them the New York Red Bulls. Further teams have been purchased in Brazil and Japan, but their most prominent addition to their portfolio was their buying of the German 5th division team SSV Markranstädt 2009.

Germany is a country notorious for opposing outside investment into the beautiful game, preferring a fan ownership model. Once again, Mateschitz was unmoved, renaming the team RB Leipzig and pumping money into the outfit left, right, and center. Just seven years on from Red Bull’s purchase, the East German side was competing in the Bundesliga, the top tier of German football. They finished their maiden campaign in second place, and have competed in the UEFA Champions League in six of the seven seasons since.

The brand recently made headlines once more as Red Bull appointed Jürgen Klopp as their global head of soccer, marking the beginning of a new era. The maverick German is one of the greatest managers on the planet, leading clubs such as Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool to major success, including claiming both the European Cup and the Premier League with the Reds. His role at Red Bull will focus on mentoring coaches, advancing the brand’s football philosophy, and leveraging his extensive network to scout top talent.