After 17 years with Coca-Cola, launching a variety of products, LeBron James is signing with rival PepsiCo, sources confirmed to ESPN.
The Los Angeles Lakers star is expected to promote the Mountain Dew brand, which became one of the NBA’s main sponsors after PepsiCo took over as the league’s official beverage partner in 2015.
James signed with Coca in the summer of 2003, before his debut season; the company joined Nike and Upper Deck as its long-standing endorsement partners. Its deal with Coca-Cola ended last year, when the sides failed to reach an agreement on an extension.
Over the years, James had his own flavor of Powerade and Sprite version, and was at the center of a Coca-Cola marketing campaign with Yao Ming for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. His first television commercial was for Sprite in 2003.
Forbes lists James as the NBA’s best active player in sponsorship earnings, reaching $ 50 million a year.
Front Office Sports first reported the subscription.