PRIME? A flash in the pan? No, it’s here to stay and is taking over the world of sport.
The energy drink that was harder to buy than a Glastonbury ticket, and sometimes more expensive, now has deals with football giants Arsenal and Bayern Munich, sponsors Erling Haaland and has popped up in the UFC and WWE.
Die-hard Gunners fan KSI and Logan Paul are the YouTubers behind the phenomenon – raking in over £200million in sales of the sweet beverage.
Their careers in boxing and the WWE have also meant they have been able to make full use of their fame, by plugging their product at Misfits events and WWE’s WrestleMania.
The rise of Prime is as unstoppable as a Logan Paul clothesline and a KSI knockout punch.
Football
Arsenal were the first football club to associate themselves with Prime at the beginning of last season.
Childhood Gooner KSI was delighted, while he and Paul toured the Emirates Stadium and its changing rooms for a promo photoshoot.
Speaking to Arsenal’s official website, KSI revealed: “Honestly, I can’t believe it, this is a childhood dream of mine.
“From watching Arsenal tear up the Premier League in the early 2000’s to now being associated with Arsenal officially with PRIME, it’s a dream come true and I’m still pinching myself!
“This is a huge moment and I’m so glad it’s with the team I support.”
A year later, and Prime became the ‘official hydration sponsor’ of LaLiga giants Barcelona – a deal that will be in place for the next three seasons.
Juli Guiu, Barcelona’s vice-president of marketing, understood the importance the drink has in connecting to a younger audience.
She said: “We are very proud to sign this sponsorship agreement with PRIME, a brand with major international projection and which is the result of the passion and dedication of its promoters, Logan Paul and KSI.
“This is also an strategic deal for the Club that will help to connect with younger audiences around the world, who are big fans of an innovative product that encourages rehydration and means people can enjoy doing sport even more.”
Bayern Munich are the latest European giant to align themselves with Prime.
The German club added England captain Harry Kane to their ranks earlier this month, which prompted Arsenal supporter KSI to aim a cheeky dig.
He tweeted: “As soon as Prime sponsors Bayern, he moves there instantly, smart man.”
UFC, WWE and Misfits Boxing
In America, the WWE rules and the UFC is the fastest growing sport.
So, it made sense that Paul and KSI found a way into those worlds.
In 2022, a multi-event deal was inked with the wrestling entertainment company – but no one could have foreseen what would happen next.
Back in April, Paul took on Seth Rollins at the SoFi stadium in Los Angeles.
KSI joined proceedings, dressed as a bottle of Prime, to help out his business partner in the ring.
However, when Rollins was stricken on a table and Paul was jumping off the top rope to flatten him, with KSI filming the moment on his phone, Rollins pulled KSI in his place at the last moment, who took the impact.
Prime is now the official sports drink of the UFC too, with president Dana White delighted with the association.
He said: “With their massive social media following and UFC’s global reach, we’re going to get the Prime brand in front of hundreds of millions of fans all over the world.
“Whether you’re a professional athlete or if you just love working out, Prime should be your first choice for a go-to sports drink.”
Misfits Boxing, founded by KSI and shown on DAZN, also uses its platform to promote the brand – with fighters including Astrid Wett and Elle Brooke posing in front of bottles.
Haaland
Paul and KSI had already secured deals with UFC stars Alex Volkanovski and Israel Adesanya, as they now look at sponsoring individuals.
But, last week they bagged their biggest sports star to date.
Man City hotshot Erling Haaland has joined the Prime collective, inking a deal and becoming the first footballer to do so.
Paul and KSI announced the collaboration on X, formerly known as Twitter, with a photo of the three, as Haaland donned a Prime necklace.
Alongside their announcement, they captioned the snap: “The future of hydration meets the future of Football.”
Details of the partnership haven’t been disclosed yet, but you can bet it’ll benefit both parties.
For now, though, the rise of Prime continues to gather at pace. What better a footballer to peddle the drink than one of the quickest in the game.
