By Rory Carroll

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Visa will end its three-decade NFL sponsorship run when its contract expires in March 2026, opting instead to invest in team, player and creator partnerships that it says better align with its marketing strategy, Visa Chief Marketing Officer Frank Cooper told Reuters.

Rival American Express will take over the NFL’s credit and payment card sponsorship category in a deal worth about $910 million over seven years, according to Sports Business Journal. An AmEx spokesperson declined to comment.

Cooper declined to comment on the reported terms of the AmEx deal and did not say whether Visa had been offered the same terms for renewal. But he said inflation in sports rights costs across major properties was forcing tougher choices.

“We love the NFL… but we

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