Durham Bulls, Eli Lilly Extend Partnership for Community Events at Goodmon Field

The Durham Bulls announced Wednesday an extension of their corporate partnership with Eli Lilly and Company, with the pharmaceutical giant set to deepen its role in Bulls community programming at Goodmon Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays' Triple-A affiliate.

The March 11 announcement, distributed as a press release through MiLB.com, positions Eli Lilly as an expanded presence not just on game days but across the broader event calendar that Durham Bulls Athletic Park hosts year-round. According to the club, the athletic park serves as the venue for Duke Baseball games, festivals, and concerts in addition to Bulls baseball, giving corporate partners like Lilly consistent access to Triangle-area consumers across multiple programming contexts.

The partnership extension specifically includes plans for Eli Lilly to support community events and host employee activations at Goodmon Field. The 2026 Bulls calendar already features a range of promotional events, including FestiBull of Lights, Field of Dreams, and the Cosmic Takeover Tour, any of which could serve as activation touchpoints for Lilly's employee and community programming efforts.

The Bulls' in-house Corporate Partnerships team handles the integration of deals like this one. That group includes a staffer named Nick, who joined the Bulls in January 2013 after a decade working for a sports marketing agency in London. Nick briefly departed in 2021 for an 18-month stint as Director of Corporate Partnerships for a local NWSL team before returning to Durham in December 2022. His background offers some context for how the Bulls approach sponsorship structuring: this is a team with experienced partnership staff that has worked in multiple professional sports environments.

The Bulls describe their sponsorship proposition in straightforward terms: Durham Bulls Athletic Park creates a unique opportunity for businesses to reach consumers all year long, precisely because the venue's event footprint extends well beyond the baseball calendar.

Companies interested in corporate partnership opportunities with the Bulls can reach the organization at (919) 687-6500. Games are broadcast on Bally Sports Live and streamed on MiLB.TV, with the full 2026 schedule available as a PDF on the club's official site.