Coke Pulls Plug on 'Idol' Sponsorship

Coca-Cola will no longer be a sponsor of American Idol after 13 years, the soft drink company and Fox Broadcasting said.

“Coca-Cola and FOX have mutually decided to end their 13-year American Idol partnership. We look forward to working together on new collaborations in the future,” the companies said in a statement.

Once a ratings juggernaut, Idol’s ratings have been falling for years, pushing Fox’s ratings down as well.

Fox said that another long-time sponsor, Ford, will be returning for Season 14.

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.