Don’t expect to see LeBron James in any Sprite commercial going forward.
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar is preparing to add PepsiCo as a sponsor after nearly two decades as a representative of The Coca-Cola Company, according to Front Office Sports.
James will become the face of Mountain Dew’s next “Rise Energy” line, joining a group of basketball players who launch the soft drink that includes Zion Williamson, Joel Embiid, Jamal Murray and A’ja Wilson. There could also be some integration with the Blaze Pizza chain, a company that is 10 percent owned by James and currently offers only Coca products.
PepsiCo and James representatives declined to comment.
Coca-Cola has been a sponsor of LeBron James since the beginning
If this is really the end of James’ relationship with Coca-Cola, it will mark the end of a sponsorship that dates back to its debut year in 2003.
James, then 18, signed with Coca before playing his first game in the NBA, becoming a longtime spokesman for the company’s Sprite and Powerade brands. He has regularly participated in commercials for both drinks since then, and even received his own drink “Sprite 6 Mix by LeBron James” in 2014.
A Coca-Cola spokesman told Front Office Sports that James’s deal with the company expired in September:
“LeBron’s contract came at a time when he and The Coca-Cola Company were actively reviewing all of their resources to ensure they were investing in places that guaranteed long-term growth,” said Coca-Cola. “After many discussions with Lebron and his team, we mutually agreed to part ways.”
In addition to Coca-Cola, James signed a contract with Nike, Bubblicious gum, Juice Batteries and Upper Deck as a rookie, according to Forbes.
James’ deal with Nike, the heaviest hitter in the original group, is at least going well. He signed a lifetime contract with the company in 2016.
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