Amgen signs on as 2026 World Cup host city supporter in LA

Amgen is getting the ball rolling on a far-reaching new partnership that’s set to boost its profile in its hometown of Greater Los Angeles. The Big Biotech has signed on as the official biotech partner and a foundational partner of the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission (LASEC), the nonprofit organization responsible for bringing major events like the 2026 World Cup and 2027 Super Bowl to L.A. As part of the team-up, Amgen will serve as an official host city supporter for L.A. throughout the upcoming World Cup, which is set to kick off next summer in 16 host cities across North America. In that capacity, the company will support community revitalization efforts to enhance outdoor spaces ahead of the tournament and join in on fan events across the region to share resources and information about improving health and preventing disease. Amgen will also echo its fellow host city supporters in sponsoring a free youth soccer clinic series and recognizing more than two dozen local nonprofits that use the sport to drive change. “For 45 years, Amgen has been part of the fabric of Greater Los Angeles, supporting a thriving local biotechnology community, bringing top talent to the area and contributing philanthropic giving where we live and work,” Robert Bradway, the drugmaker’s CEO, said in Friday’s announcement. “Our mission is to serve patients, and this partnership with LASEC builds on that purpose by promoting greater health awareness across the region.” LASEC is also heading up the host committee for the 2027 Super Bowl, but didn’t disclose the role Amgen will play in that event’s L.A.-area programming. Amgen joins a wave of biopharma giants announcing sporty sponsorships in recent weeks. Just last month, Eli Lilly not only re-upped its longstanding partnership with Team USA ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games but also came aboard as an official sponsor of the Games themselves. Meanwhile, in October, both Vanda Pharmaceuticals and Johnson & Johnson inked athletic deals of their own: with the New York Islanders and the company behind several pro sports teams in Washington, D.C., for Vanda, and with the New York Jets for J&J.