THEDAILYWHISKY

Jim Beam wants you to cheer for the worst sound in football.

Jim Beam Hit The Beam, the brand’s new season-long US campaign, is built entirely around the “doink”, the flat metallic clang of a field goal attempt bouncing off the goalpost. Every time it happens on an NFL Sunday, fans have a shot at winning an 85-inch TV, with up to five given away each week. Entry opens at Hitthebeam.com on 9 September 2026, timed to the season kickoff.

Jim Beam wants you to cheer for the worst sound in football.

The brand has launched Hit The Beam, a season-long US campaign built entirely around the “doink”, the flat metallic clang of a field goal attempt bouncing off the goalpost. Every time it happens on an NFL Sunday, fans have a shot at winning an 85-inch TV, with up to five given away each week. Entry opens at Hitthebeam.com on 9 September 2026, timed to the season kickoff.

The spot pairs comedian and actor Ben Marshall with former NFL kicker Kai Forbath, casting Marshall as an unqualified coach trying to teach Forbath to hit the post on purpose. It is a decent joke, and Beam is honest that the coaching is the joke while the prizes are real. If no kick hits the beam in a given week, eligible entries roll over to the next one.

Why a bourbon brand is buying the “doink”

This is straightforward reach. Jim Beam is the world’s best-selling bourbon, made at Clermont, Kentucky by a family line that traces its distilling back to 1795, with Fred Noe and his son Freddie Noe as the current seventh and eighth generation master distillers. A brand that size does not need to sell you on the liquid on game day. It needs a reason to be in the room, and a shared moment that rival fans can enjoy together is a smart one. Beam is leaning on its “Jim Beam and Lemonade” serve as the game-day drink of choice.

The campaign runs across connected TV, Meta, TikTok, Reddit and YouTube for the full regular season.

The part that actually touches the whisky

For collectors, the tangible piece is the packaging. As an official partner of the Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs, Jim Beam is releasing limited-edition bottles for each franchise at select local retailers. These are the standard 40% ABV Kentucky Straight Bourbon in team livery rather than a new expression, so treat them as a fan item, not a flavour event.

It also sits inside a much bigger sports push. Beam is the exclusive spirits sponsor of the Cadillac Formula 1 team and has a long NASCAR history, so football is one front in a wide motorsport-and-sport strategy from owner Suntory Global Spirits. That is the same group behind Maker’s Mark and, on the Scotch side, Laphroaig, which is the thread most likely to interest a single malt drinker reading this from outside the US.

Who can actually take part

Honestly, most of our readers can’t. The sweepstakes is limited to the US and to entrants aged 21 and over, and the TV prizes ship there. If you are in the UK, Europe, Denmark or further afield, this is a piece to watch rather than enter. The full official rules are on the campaign site.

Is it worth your attention?

As a whisky story, it is light: no new liquid, no cask, no ABV change. As an industry signal, it is worth noting how aggressively bourbon is buying its way into live sport, and the NFL franchise bottles are a fair pickup if you collect Beam or follow one of those three teams. Everyone else can file it under “big brand, big budget, standard pour” and move on to the next release.

FAQ

What is Jim Beam’s Hit The Beam campaign?
Hit The Beam is a Jim Beam football campaign launched on 9 September 2026 for the NFL season. Every time a field goal hits the goalpost, the “doink”, fans can win prizes. It stars Ben Marshall and former NFL kicker Kai Forbath and rewards the miss instead of the make.

How do you enter Hit The Beam and what can you win?
Fans enter at Hitthebeam.com from 9 September 2026. Up to five 85-inch TVs are awarded each week, with winners drawn at random based on how many doinks occur. Non-winning entries roll over to later weeks. You must be 21 or over and in the US.

Is there a new Jim Beam whisky in this campaign?
No. There is no new expression. Jim Beam is releasing limited-edition franchise bottles for the Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs, but these hold the standard Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon at 40% ABV in team packaging.

Who owns Jim Beam?
Jim Beam is owned by Suntory Global Spirits, the group behind Maker’s Mark, the Japanese whiskies Yamazaki and Hibiki, and the Scotch brand Laphroaig. Jim Beam itself is distilled at Clermont, Kentucky, with roots dating to 1795.

Can fans outside the US take part in Hit The Beam?
No. The sweepstakes is US-only and restricted to entrants aged 21 and over, with prizes delivered in the US. International readers can follow the campaign and buy Jim Beam as normal, but cannot enter the TV drawings.