Josh Cellars wine, Paramount Pictures, Pure Michigan, Rao’s Homemade, and Wayfair Stocks the Kitchen as First-Time Partners with the Award-Winning Culinary Series
BMW of North America, Chipotle, Delta Air Lines, Finish Dishwasher Detergent and Additives, Morton Salt, Saratoga® Spring Water, Talenti and the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Credit Card Return for the Most Appetizing Competition Yet
New York, NY – January 28, 2025 – Today, NBCUniversal announced its lineup of in and out-of-show brand partnerships for the upcoming 22nd season of Bravo’s “Top Chef,” taking place in Canada. The show is set to premiere on Thursday, March 13 at 9pm ET/PT on Bravo and is available to stream the next day on Peacock.
As the #1 competition reality program in primetime cable*, “Top Chef” continues to push boundaries this season with dynamic integrations and fresh ad content. These additions will bring unexpected twists and inspire culinary excellence with domestic and globally recognized brands, including BMW of North America, Chipotle, Delta Air Lines, Finish Dishwasher Detergent and Additives, Josh Cellars wine, Morton Salt, Paramount Pictures, Pure Michigan, Rao’s Homemade, Saratoga® Spring Water, Talenti, Wayfair, and the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Credit Card.
The winner of “Top Chef” will take home $250,000 provided by Saratoga® Spring Water; Delta SkyMiles® Diamond Medallion® Status and a $125,000 flight credit to spend on travel with Delta Air Lines; a feature in Food & Wine Magazine, and an appearance at the 42nd annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. For the first time, they’ll also headline a dinner at the historic James Beard House in New York and present at The James Beard Foundation Awards. Plus, the chefs will have the opportunity to win a cash prize at every Quickfire Challenge and select Elimination Challenges with over $150,000 in total.
The Emmy, James Beard, and Critics’ Choice Award-winning series serves up captivating drama and offers integrated brands a recipe for success with increases from last season in brand emotional engagement (+38%) and brand likeability (+76%). Plus, 73% of last season’s viewers expressed greater interest in the advertised brands featured in each episode after watching**.
“Bravo’s ‘Top Chef’ continues to captivate audiences with bold flavors, unexpected twists, and high-stakes excitement that keep them coming back for more. Our incredible brand partners are a big part of this journey as they’re seamlessly woven into the fabric of the culinary competition. By serving as integral ingredients of the show, brands are enhancing storytelling and connecting with a passionate audience, all while cooking up meaningful opportunities that truly move the needle for their business. It’s the perfect recipe for success!”
– Jamie Cutburth, Executive Vice President, Creative Partnerships, NBCUniversal Advertising and Partnerships
Keeping It Fresh: Integrated Brands All Season Long
- Throughout the competition for the highly coveted title of ‘Top Chef,’ world-leading brands will be integrated into every part of the season – from the ingredients Cheftestants use, to how they get to locations across the Great White North and more. Season 22’s official season-long partners include:
- auto partner, BMW of North America;
- airline and secondary prizing partner, Delta Air Lines;
- wine partner, Josh Cellars wine;
- salt partner, Morton Salt;
- water and grand prize partner, Saratoga® Spring Water;
- and QuickFire quick cash partner, the Wells Fargo Active Cash Credit Card.
Partner-Powered Challenges: Where Taste Meets Innovation
- Thanks to BMW of North America, Season 22’s contestants will ride in style to an elimination challenge where they will be asked to forage for wild ingredients across Canada’s terrain, putting the new BMW X3 front and center.
- Chipotle returns to the kitchen for a unique QuickFire Challenge where the menu is as customizable as its offerings. Audiences will see cheftestants prepare an entirely new meal using the same real ingredients from their personal Chipotle orders, putting their creativity to the test.
- Delta Air Lines will bring the invigorating spirit of the Olympic Games directly into the chef’s stations with an elimination challenge featuring world-elite athletes that will reveal a high stakes three-round culinary match for the ultimate finale.
- Dirty dishes are no match for Finish Dishwasher Detergent and Additives or this season’s chefs, as they cook a creation based on one of the 10 toughest stains in America during a QuickFire Challenge.
- There’s no playing it safe in the heat of competition. That is why in an elimination challenge inspired by Paramount Pictures and Skydance’s “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” featuring the film’s own Greg Tarzan Davis as a guest judge, the remaining chefs will not only craft an interactive plate but will embark on a stunt of their own.
- In a sweet and sticky elimination challenge, the Wells Fargo Active Cash Credit Card brings Canadian tradition to the forefront as cheftestants shop for specialty ingredients and are surprised with an additional two percent of their original budget, courtesy of the sponsor, to create dishes that are inspired by Canadian Sugar Shack menus.
Serving Up Seconds: More Content for Fans
- Directly after the premiere, the digital aftershow “The Dish with Kish” presented by Saratoga® Spring Water and hosted by Kristen Kish, returns each week to spotlight the culinary action from the latest episode and must see behind-the-scenes moments.
- Additionally following the premiere, the show’s digital companion series “Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen” presented by BMW of North America, and hosted by Tom Colicchio, will serve as an opportunity for eliminated Chefs to earn another shot at re-entering the sizzling showdown.
- As Cheftestants make their way throughout the competition, fans will enjoy even more “Top Chef” content across social and in commercial time with special curated ad spots thanks to brand partners Finish Dishwasher Detergent and Additives, Pure Michigan, Rao’s Homemade, Talenti and Wayfair.
For more information on “Top Chef” and its Season 22 lineup of cheftestants, please visit Bravotv.com/top-chef.
Source:
*Bravo’s “Top Chef is the #1 Competition Reality Program in Primetime Cable, W18-49. Source: Nielsen Media Research, L+7. (1/1/24-12/29/24). Prime. Based on reality-series subgenre further filtered for competition reality, excludes repeats. P18-49, P25-54, W18-49 & W25-54.
**MediaProbe Biometrics Data 18+. Top Chef S21 on Bravo,( Based on 7 sponsors) Emotional Engagement (EE)= MP Impact metric. Competitive TV =Measured Non-NBCU competitive programs including entertainment, news, Live Events & Sports
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