Verizon launches the “Verizon Small Business Super Pitch” competition with soccer star Carli Lloyd

At a glance

• Small business owners across the United States will compete in a pitch competition over the course of three rounds for a chance to win cash prizes and complimentary trips to attend the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Final at New York New Jersey Stadium. 
• All small business owners can enter the contest through Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, a free educational platform offering personalized skills training, expert coaching, peer networking and access to grant opportunities. 

In addition to giving fans unmatched access to the highly anticipated FIFA World Cup 2026™, this summer Verizon is also serving up a different kind of pitch—A Super Pitch. The Verizon Small Business Super Pitch competition will offer small business owners across the country the chance to win a grant and a complimentary trip to the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Final at New York New Jersey Stadium.

To be eligible, business owners must be registered for Small Business Digital Ready and complete at least one course or attend one event in the ‘Winning Customers’ category. To officially enter, business owners must share how they have used Digital Ready to position their business to win in videos posted to social media now through May 18. Small business owners must also complete the official entry form on the Small Business Digital Ready platform.

Twenty business owners will be selected from the eligible entries to compete in regional semi-final in-person pitch events in one of four cities: Kansas City (June 19), Houston (June 22), Los Angeles (June 24) and Philadelphia (June 26). Five business owners will compete in each city.

The four runners up from each regional semi-final competition will receive tickets to a local FIFA World Cup™ game. The winning business owner from each region will be provided travel to the final round of live-pitching on July 17 in the shadow of New York New Jersey Stadium, site of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Final. All four finalists will receive two tickets to the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Final, with the grand prize winner also receiving a cash award.

Judges for the final round will include two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup™ Champion, author and entrepreneur Carli Lloyd, as well as prominent leaders from the small business community.

“Small businesses may not wear jerseys and play in front of stadiums full of fans, but they are the stars of local economies and we wanted to find a way to celebrate the vital contributions they make to our communities,” said Donna Epps, Chief Responsible Business Officer, Verizon. “At Verizon, we believe when you invest in small businesses, you are investing in America, creating jobs and strengthening our economy. Hosting this competition and providing the range of resources available through our Small Business Digital Ready program are ways we can support these businesses and help raise their profiles at the community, city, regional and national levels.”

The Digital Ready platform provides entrepreneurs with year-round access to critical resources to help small businesses grow and thrive. These resources include grant opportunities, 1:1 expert coaching, networking and, most importantly, digital skills training on topics like leveraging  AI, social media marketing, financial planning and more. The resources are all free, whether the small business is a Verizon customer or not.

To date, Verizon has supported more than 590,000 businesses, with a goal to equip 1 million with the tools and resources they need to be successful in the digital economy by 2030.

Verizon Small Business Super Pitch eligibility information:

• Business owners who are 18-years-old or older from all 50 states, Washington, DC, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands can enter if they complete the eligibility requirements. To be eligible, small business owners must be registered on Small Business Digital Ready and complete at least one course or attend at least one event from the ‘Winning Customers’ Category. There is no cost to register for Small Business Digital Ready and applicants need not be Verizon customers.
• To enter, the business must upload a ~60 sec video to social media (Instagram, X, LinkedIn, Facebook, TikTok or YouTube) explaining how Digital Ready helped them position their business to win, tagging @verizonbusiness (except on TikTok) and using the hashtags #SMBSuperPitch, #Contest, and #VerizonBusiness. They must also complete the official entry form through the Small Business Digital Ready website.

Full competition details and rules can be found at verizonsuperpitch.com.