Pepsi is now the most dominant player in the NBA.
The beverage giant racked up a major win by announcing today that it has stolen exclusive sponsorship rights from Coca-Cola, who had been the league’s official sponsor for 30 years.
We can hear the Mountain Dew toasts from here.
Though official terms of the deal haven’t been disclosed, they are reportedly a lot more lucrative than the previous agreement with Coke. The partnership means PepsiCo’s products will be be centre court (sometimes literally) for live television broadcasts, receive preferential treatment during commercials, and see some of the game’s biggest stars more likely to endorse Aquafina over Dasani.
Acquiring the NBA rights gives PepsiCo control over the entire American sports empire, having already secured sponsorship deals with the NFL, NHL, and MLB.
As for Coke, well, they’ll be forced to watch from somewhere in the upper deck…
“We will continue to be visible through ongoing relationships with individual teams and venues,” said one Coca-Cola spokeswoman.
Is this what they mean when they say sugar is an essential part of the athlete diet?
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