A focus on sporting sponsorships following the divestment of its wine brands has put Pernod Ricard on a profitable new path according to its Managing Director Pacific Kevin Mapson.

Mapson has worked for Pernod Ricard since 1996. Originally from New Zealand, he was Sales Director in Australia for almost 20 years before being appointed Managing Director for Pernod Ricard New Zealand in 2016.

When Vinarchy acquired a portfolio of wine brands from Pernod Ricard last year—including Jacob’s Creek, Stoneleigh, Church Road and Campo Viejo— Mapson says the sale allowed the Pacific team to focus on Champagne, spirits and RTDs.

“We are optimistic, certainly for spirits and RTDs. I think the main thing for us is we’ve removed any drag on our portfolio from wine, and it was a bit of a drag on the portfolio,” he told The Australian.

“And I think if we look at other markets internationally, we’re seeing that spirits are resilient and certainly premium spirits are, and then from an RTD point of view, we are quite optimistic.”

In the first quarter of FY26, RTDs delivered strong growth of 10% across the range of the portfolio for Pernod Ricard.

Mapson said key factor driving growth for the company in Australia is its sponsorships of sporting events including the Melbourne Cup Carnival with G.H Mumm, the Australian Open with Altos tequila and the Australian Formula One Grand Prix with Chivas Regal.

According to Mapson, GH Mumm is growing at around 12% in value, while the Champagne category is only growing at 5%.

It’s the 16th year that Mumm has sponsored the Spring Racing Carnival, with more than 100,000 glasses enjoyed across the period at Flemington Racecourse.

Last month, Tennis Australia announced Altos as the Official Tequila of the Australian Open. Partnering together for the first time, Altos will bring its tequila-based cocktails to the tournament in 2026, alongside a custom AO cocktail.

Beyond the Australian Open, Altos will join Summer of Tennis celebrations across the nation as the Official Tequila of the United Cup in Perth and Sydney, and the Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart Internationals.

Chivas Regal was appointed Official Team Partner of the Scuderia Ferrari HP Formula 1 team in 2024, while Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc was announced as the whisky’s Global Brand Ambassador in March 2025, ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 season opener.

Leclerc boasts 20.3 million Instagram followers alone, with the partnership describes as a coup for the Scotch brand’s global image, especially with younger audiences.

Chivas Regal Global Marketing Director Nick Blacknell told Whisky Magazine: “Social media has opened up new audiences to the world of whisky and transformed how it is experienced.

“Today whisky drinkers aren’t just choosing a product; they’re buying into a lifestyle. That’s why impactful campaigns must be culturally relevant, emotionally resonant, and digitally driven. Partnerships rooted in passions like sport and fashion enable brands to connect authentically and broaden their appeal to a wide range of consumers.”

Mapson said sports sponsorships were helping to build momentum for Pernod Ricard’s brands and helping them buck cost-of-living pressures.

“I think that people have been seeking value, that’s for sure, but people are still going out, for restaurant numbers and bars, the numbers are OK, but they’re improving and soon as we see interest rates come down, disposable income starts to free up, and we’re starting to feel quite optimistic about what we’re seeing,” he said.