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LeBron James is changing his alliance.
The NBA icon is not changing the team’s uniforms, but after 18 years, James will now be quenching his thirst with PepsiCo brand drinks instead of Coca-Cola, according to Front Office Sports.
On Friday, the agency, citing sources familiar with the deal, said the Los Angeles Lakers star would become the face of Mountain Dew’s next “Rise Energy” beverage line, adding that the sponsorship could also bring integration across the board. the company with James’ Blaze Pizza artisans network.
Representatives from PepsiCo, Coca-Cola and James did not immediately respond to requests for comment from FOX Business.
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LeBron James, of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Coca-Cola, a longtime beverage sponsor, “mutually agreed to split up,” a company representative told Front Office Sports. (AP Photo / Mark J. Terrill, Archive)
James signed with Coca-Cola in 2003, when it was the first general choice of the draft at the time.
In 2014, the beverage conglomerate gave James his own Sprite drink, dubbed “Sprite 6 Mix by LeBron James”, which also featured its own ad and commercial campaign featuring the four times MVP.
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His business with Coca-Cola expired in September, Front Office Sports said on Friday.
“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,” Coca-Cola told the Front Office . “After many discussions with LeBron and his team, we mutually agreed to part ways.”
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PepsiCo replaced Coca-Cola as the official food and beverage partner for the NBA and WNBA in 2015 – an agreement that ended Coca’s partnership with the NBA, which lasted nearly 30 years.
By gaining an even greater share of the beverage market, PepsiCo also became a player in the energy drinks department by acquiring Rockstar last March for a whopping $ 3.85 billion.
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Russ Weiner, who started the popular energy drink company with $ 50,000 of his own money, told FOX Business at the time that the move would make Rockstar “a global brand of power”.
“My legacy will be safe with [PepsiCo], ”Weiner added.
LeBron James is leaving Coca-Cola for rival PepsiCo after 18 years. (AP Photo / Jeff Chiu, Archive)
Meanwhile, James – who recently signed a two-year extension with the Los Angeles Lakers – also signed a lifetime contract with Nike in 2015 that could rack up $ 1 billion in career earnings before he hit his NBA final basket.
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James is also an important player in Hollywood through his various TV, film and content businesses, through his production company, Springhill Entertainment, Uninterrupted and other cohort ventures.