Key Takeaways
- Pat McAfee joins JAMS as Co-Owner in his first food and beverage venture, adding to a roster that includes Alex Morgan, Caleb Williams, and JJ Watt.
- JAMS launched in July 2025 and has already reached Walmart and Target stores nationwide.
- Each sandwich delivers 10 grams of protein with no seed oils, no high-fructose corn syrup, and no dyes.
- The brand partnered with NFL Players Inc. to build what it calls the first PB&J developed alongside active NFL players.
- Founder Connor Blakley says McAfee’s show reached roughly 1 billion social media views in a single month.
A Familiar Voice Takes an Ownership Stake
Pat McAfee has joined JAMS as Co-Owner, his first move into the food and beverage business. The host of The Pat McAfee Show and ESPN College GameDay is now part of the ownership group at the Nashville-based brand, which sells a modern take on the frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
McAfee joins a cap table already built around athletes and creators, including Alex Morgan, Caleb Williams, and JJ Watt. His role is described as hands-on rather than a name on the box. The company says he will work across brand positioning, creative direction, content, strategic partnerships, and long-term vision, with JAMS integrated into his show and social channels.
The connection started on set. JAMS had been sending product to The Pat McAfee Show for months, and the crew became daily consumers before any deal was on the table. Those conversations turned into an ownership agreement.
“I grew up in a PB&J house in Western Pennsylvania,” McAfee said. He carried the habit through college and his NFL career, and once he became a father he wanted a version he felt good about feeding his family.
How JAMS Built the Product
JAMS was launched last year by Connor Blakley, founder of The DropOut Companies. The pitch is simple: a PB&J that does not force a choice between taste and ingredients.
Each sandwich carries 10 grams of protein, with no seed oils, no high-fructose corn syrup, and no dyes. The jelly is made with real fruit. That positioning targets the frozen sandwich aisle, a category the brand argues has long leaned on shortcuts that put convenience ahead of ingredient quality.
The product story also has a licensing layer. JAMS recently partnered with NFL Players Inc., the licensing and marketing arm of the NFL Players Association, to build what it calls the first PB&J developed hand-in-hand with active NFL players. That deal pairs a consumer brand with a player-licensing vehicle, a structure youth sports operators will recognize from the broader athlete-brand economy.
Retail Reach and the Next Phase
Since launching in July 2025, JAMS has moved into Walmart and Target stores nationwide. The McAfee partnership arrives ahead of expanded distribution, additional sports partnerships, and new flavors set for retail this summer.
The brand is leaning on reach as much as recipe. Blakley pointed to the scale of McAfee’s platform, noting that The Pat McAfee Show reached roughly 1 billion social media views in a single month.
“Pat is one of the most trusted voices in America, that is not something you can manufacture,” Blakley said, adding that the two sides shared values from the start.
The youth angle is explicit in how the founder frames the brand. “Me and every other kid in America grew up eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,” Blakley said. “With Pat as Co-Owner, we will make sure the next generation grows up eating JAMS.” The product is positioned for active lifestyles and family pantries rather than a single sport or age group.
From Show-Set Snack to Co-Owner
The deal fits a pattern that sports business and youth sports operators are watching closely: athletes moving from paid endorsers to equity holders in the products they promote. JAMS now combines an athlete-heavy investor group, an NFLPA licensing tie, and a media personality whose monthly reach rivals major networks.
Whether that mix converts attention into shelf velocity will play out over the summer, as new flavors and wider distribution hit stores. For a brand barely a year old, the McAfee stake gives JAMS a built-in distribution engine for its message, with the open question being how much of that audience follows it into the freezer aisle.
Source: JAMS, press release via PR Newswire, June 22, 2026
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