Does that mean the new distribution method will switch to those responsible for marketing / sponsoring, and eventually exclude everyone else?
Nothing has been finalized yet. Tony will make an announcement soon on this. But yes, the focus will no longer be on the airdrop because it is an expensive way to bring new users to Byteball.
And to be frank, airdropping new bytes to existing holders only brings new users in on a very limited scale. I think the recent hand-outs at large events is a way more effective way to raise awareness of the Byteball project. This project really needs organic growth in acceptance and real world applications rather than hyped up marketing and hot air.